Broken Strings
by evaivory
Summary: 'Don't worry. Don't cry. It's going to be fine'. This is a game, where every player is crowned a king, because there is no one left to pawn. Where love and hate set up their pieces once more, and play their age old challenge. Hate has never lost, and love will do anything to win.
1. Wife and Maid

**AN: Hello! Here it is, the sequel to 'The Assistant'.** **Oh, it's so exciting isn't it! Anyway, welcome back old readers, and new readers? Yeah, you might want to read the other book.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the Originals or other related things, bla, bla, bla, yada, yada, yada.**

 **Warnings: Conflicting emotions throughout, big surprises ahead, and a more Mikaelson version of Elijah.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Wife And Maid**

* * *

 **In which Purgatory is stupid**

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There is a monster at the end of this book. Weaving through the pages and cutting round the corners. The blank page at the end when your left only with your knowledge and wit.

Can you find the monster? As it seeps from the words, and leaks from the leather bound pages. Sliming it's way into every letter, wrapping around your fingers like a black vine as you turn every page. It's easy, really, if you look close enough. But, yet again, we don't know our own demons until they look us in the eye.

Life is funny like that.

 **...**

" _Hello." Rebekah smiled at the terrified man, the bright candlelight letting him see her, wiping the blood of her lips with a handkerchief. "Lovely to see such a handsome face after a long journey. Can I eat him, brother?"_

 _"I'd rather you didn't." Elijah said, stepping out of the shadows, smiling at the terrified man._

 _"Who's eating who?" Adriana's soft accent called out, suddenly appearing on the other side of the second man, the man swinging around the candle so he could see her. "Hello honey, please can I drain your pathetic life source from your disgusting body?"_

 _She smiled cheekily, her eyes lighting up like a child in a sweet shop._

 _"No ones eating anyone, Adriana." Elijah sighed, as if he was dealing with an annoying child, suddenly appearing next to the tiny brunette. "There's no need to be afraid." He compelled the man. "And do exactly as I say. You will remember nothing."_

 _"I will remember nothing." The human parroted._

 _"We've had a very long journey, wherein which, unfortunately, we lost all of our crew." Adriana's muffled snicker could be heard in the darkness. "Therefore, I will ask you kindly to transport our belongings to the shore."_

 _"What kind of hell demons are you?" The human breathed, obviously terrified._

 _"We're vampires, darling." Rebekah stated, rolling her eyes slightly._

 _"Adriana." Adriana said, introducing herself while eyeing the human like a peice of meat._

 _"And we are the Original vampires: Rebekah, Elijah, our brothers Kol and Finn; may they rest in peace." Rebekah listed, nodding her head with every name._

 _"Are we saving the best for last?" Klaus' voice rang out in the dark._

 _"And our half brother, Niklaus." Rebekah introduced. "Ignore him; he's a beast."_

 _The man swiftly turned the candle, the light revealing another human laying drained in Klaus' arms, the body falling to the floor with a thud. Klaus' mouth was smeared with blood, his fangs still visible in the candlelight._

 _"I was wondering where he went." Adriana muttered, not even blinking at the sight of the dead man._

 _"We fled Europe and survived the seas. Would you rather I arrive hungry on the shores of our new homeland?" Klaus asked, a large blood stained grin on his face._

 _"Niklaus, your manners are, as always, without equal." Elijah said calmly, the light of the candle quickly returning to him. "Sir, would you be so good as to tell us where it is that we have landed?"_

 _"The French colony of Louisiana, off the shores of a town they have named New Orleans." The man answered._

 _"Thank you so much." Elijah smiled gently, Adriana rolling her eyes from where she stood next to him, barely reaching his shoulder. "Oh, I do recommend that you find yourself further assistance for the luggage. My sincere apologies."_

This house was awful. It was huge, and white.

Seriously, White? Why?

Adriana sat in the corner of the room, while Hayley pulled a dusty sheet off a crib. Coughing when dust exploded in her face.

"Are you alright?" Elijah asked, standing beside her.

"Just dust." Hayley coughed. "This place is ancient."

"Yes, it should serve our purposes." Elijah agreed with a nod. "It's a sanctuary from our business in the Quarter. Right now, you are the most important person in this family. You need a good home. So I'm curious; in all this time, has anyone asked you how you feel?"

"About having a miracle baby with a psychotic one night stand?" Hayley asked, turning to him.

"Should've used protection." Adriana muttered, turning a page in the book she was holding. Not even looking up at them. "Birth control tablets are miracles to the human race, wolfie."

"Who even are you?" Hayley asked, eyeing the pixie like girl with suspicion.

"Adriana Mafiay." Adriana introduced, not taking her eyes of the book. "I'm this idiots assistant, just over nine hundred years old, and I was a mother once upon a time, would you like a signed biography? And, please, don't introduce yourself, I don't really care."

"Ignore Adriana, I do all the time." Both Hayley and Elijah decided to ignore Adrianas loud scoff. "I meant about being a mother."

"I-I was abandoned when I was born and my adoptive parents kicked me out the second that I turned into a wolf." Hayley explained. "So, I don't really know how I feel about being a mother because I; I never really had a good one."

"I will always protect you. You have my word on that." Elijah vowed, speaking with such gentle care.

"Alright." Adriana stated, closing the book with a thump, grimacing when dust clouds rose from it. "I'm out, this is far too sickening for me. I'm going to find the kitchen in this pig sty."

The kitchen was filthy. The countertops covered in dust, the handles chipped and cracked, the door creaking as she opened it. The corners covered in translucent cobwebs, and she was certain she could hear at least on rat as it scurried away from sight.

Then, she felt it, like a dead weight had been dropped on her head.

Adriana stumbled, gripping onto the wall for support, coughing wildly as blood spewed to the plain tiled floor. She dropped to her knees, being forced down by the weight, her lips turning a red colour as she coughed up her own blood.

Adriana raised her hand to her lips, eyes shining with confusion. Blood tasted like copper in her mouth, not having the appealing taste it usually did.

It clogged up her throat and burned in her stomach, tears filling her eyes as it choked her slowly.

"You have got to be kidding me." She whispered, her eyes finally fluttering shut as she fell, her head banging roughly against the countertop. Spiderweb cracks forming on the marble.

 _The fourth floor of the Mikaelson estate had been chaos that exact day._

 _Niklaus was feeding off several women down one end of the hall, while Elijah and Adriana were in another heated argument about his mistress._

 _Not that the poor harlot knew she was a mistress._

 _"Why is she even here?" Adriana screeched, pointing at Celeste. "I want her out of my house. Now."_

 _Her accent was heavy, and her English slightly rough, but she wanted the harlot to understand everything she was saying about her._

 _Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned._

 _"That is not your decision to make, Adriana." Elijah argued, standing protectively infront of Celeste. "I invited her."_

 _"I don't care if the Gods of Olympus invited her." Adriana snapped back. "I don't want to argue about this with again Elijah."_

 _"Well, you obviously do, or we wouldn't be having this argument."_

 _Adriana's rich brown hair was pulled up in a tight bun, her hair lightly decorated with pearls. Her deep blue dress, complemented her tan, Italian features._

 _She looked, in every way, the lady of the household. And Adriana wouldn't let anyone snatch that title away from here._

 _"Should I go?" Celeste asked, her strong voice hiding her frightened aura._

 _Even an idiot could tell that, while a witch, Celeste was terrified of Adriana. It was the type of air that clung to her, one of power and complete control._

 _"Please." Adriana hissed, Elijah not even stopping his lover as she stepped into a nearby room. "If you think for one second that I'm going to let that slime rat stay, in my house none the less, then you are poorly mistaken."_

 _"Oh, please Adriana." Elijah scoffed, his jaw set in a strong line. "You've brought many a man over."_

 _"You killed them before they even walked out the door." Adriana pointed out, crossing her arms and glaring at him darkly. "How is this any different."_

 _"Because I said so."_

 _"That's a stupid reason, and you know it."_

 _She raised her hand to slap him, only for Elijah to grab her hand mid air, roughly pulling her closer to him._

 _"Listen to me carefully wife." He muttered darkly, low enough so Celeste couldn't hear. "No matter how much you may deny it, ring or not, you are still my wife. Just as you are still my maid. Celeste is staying in this house, and you have no say in it. Why? Because, even after seven hundred years, you are still mine. Do you understand me?"_

 _Adriana raised her head, rapidly blinking to conceal the tears that had formed in her eyes. She didn't let her composure fail her, keeping her back stiff and her head high._

 _"Dear husband of mine." She spat, looking past his shoulder instead of facing him eye to eye. "I will fight until this world ends if it means being free of you."_

 _"Are we interrupting?" Rebekahs voice called out, interrupting whatever Elijah was going to say, giving Adriana the chance to rip herself away from him._

 _"Yes." Klaus snapped._

 _"No." Elijah contradicted, letting go of Adriana._

 _"Maybe." Adriana shrugged, casting a dark glare to Elijah, stepping away from him._

 _"Dearest Elijah." Rebekah started as the all stepped towards her, Adriana noting how Emil stood behind her. "You've only ever wished happiness for me. Emil and I are in love. Please, let me turn him."_

 _Klaus chuckled, while Adriana sighed, looking the governors boy up and down._

 _"Rebekah, the governor has graciously agreed to hide a lot of our," Elijah paused, trying to find the right word for it. "Indiscretions. It would not do to turn his son into one of us."_

 _"Please." Rebekah begged. "For me."_

 _"It's not going to happen, Sister." Klaus deadpanned. "If we turned every man you dropped your knickers for, then human beings would cease to exist and we'd have no bloody food."_

 _"How dare you, sir!" Email spoke up, his voice laced with disgust. "You would do well to treat-"_

 _His speech was interrupted when Klaus grabbed his neck and dragged him along the hall._

 _"What in Plutos name are you doing?" Adriana shouted, stepping forward slightly._

 _"Brother." Elijah called, interrupted by Rebekahs screech._

 _"Niklaus!" Rebekah screeched._

 _"Niklaus, wait!"_

 _"No." Rebekah sobbed, struggling against Elijah's grip._

 _Klaus ignored all of them, swiftly throwing Emil off the balcony, the governors son falling all four floors._

 _"By the Gods." Adriana breathed, rushing to the railing just in time to see Emil land in a heap on the floor._

 _Dead._

Tall, slim heels paced the desolate wasteland. Tan hands curling in on themselves, red painted nails digging into skin. Pale pink lips pressed into a thin line, the Italian women walking through Purgatory with a stride, muttering obscenities to the wind.

Adriana Mafiay was not happy, not in the slightest.

"Wonderful." She muttered to the desert, her form rigid and curled like a cat waiting to pounce. "Just wonderful. I leave Elijah alone for one second, one tiny second, and he gets himself daggered. Just wonderful."

Adriana raised her head with a frown, taking in the clear sky around her.

"Seriously?" She whined, a tiny growl of frustration escaping her lips. "Why can't Purgatory be a nice library somewhere? Why does it have to be a desert? Stupid Purgatory. It doesn't know anything."

She hissed slightly, a childish pout on her face.

"And where is Elijah? For goodness sake, can't the idiot survive five seconds without me?"

Adriana breathed out heavily, finally forcing herself to stop walking. She wrapped her arms around her tiny body, shivering in the blistering heat.

"A baby." She finally giggled to herself. "Oh, this whole thing is ridiculous." She shook her head with a smile. "Absuloutly ridiculous. But, yet again, this whole family does need some hope."

She shook slightly as she laughed, the sound drifting away with the wind.

Adriana looked up again, staring suspiciously at the open sky.

"Somethings not right." She muttered, narrowing her eyes as she glanced around her.

It was as if the landscape had been turned three hundred and sixty degrees, but you couldn't slot it back into it's original position. As if they had suddenly been surrounded by an immense power.

Not good.

This was not good.

"Elijah?" Adriana screamed at the top of her lungs, her pace turning frantic. "Elijah! You idiot, where are you?"

No, Adriana Mafiay was not happy.

 _Adriana hated funerals, she had never understood the concept._

 _Why mourn someone when they were gone? Shouldn't you be happy that they had stayed with you, no matter how short of a time that was?_

 _"Where is the coin?" She asked Elijah, as they lowered the coffin into the ground. "Shouldn't he get a coin? I'm pretty sure he should get a coin."_

 _"The world has moved on from your old ways, Adriana." Elijah sighed, not looking away from the coffin._

 _"I don't see why they have." Adriana scoffed, fiddling with the skirt of her black dress. "Their new beliefs are absuloutly awful, they make no sense whatsoever."_

 _"Be quiet Adriana." Elijah stated, taking his eyes away from the procession to cast a steely glance at his wife. "Have some respect."_

 _"Bored." She drawled out instead, glancing around the crowd that had gathered around the coffin. "Where did Klaus go?"_

 _Adriana slipped out of the crowd, picking up her skirt and looking around the surrounding are. She immediately saw Klaus, kneeling infront of a child._

"You're _a survivor, and survivors need names." Klaus was saying to the child as she neared them. "How about Marcellus?"_

 _"Marcellus?" The child asked, confused with the choice._

 _"Mars, the god of war." Adriana spoke up, entering the child's vision, kneeling infront of him with a kind smile. "It is a name from my history. Perhaps one day, I shall tell you the story."_

 _Klaus grinned briefly at Adriana, swiftly standing up and offering Marcellus his hand. The grinning child taking it, letting Klaus pull him to his feet._

"This is all your fault."

"How is it my fault?"

"I told you, I told you right from the start that I didn't trust any of this. And, like always, you have gotten yourself daggered."

Adriana and Elijah glared each other down, the pressure around them seeming to increase ten fold.

"I didn't know Niklaus was going to do something so drastic." Elijah explained, his hands shoved into the pockets of his suit.

"This is Klaus we're talking about." She snapped, waving her hands about to exaggerate her point. "When doesn't he do something drastic?"

The tension sky rocketed, both of them glaring the other down.

"And that woman." Adriana hissed slightly with a sneer, recalling the look on 'Hayley's' face. "She doesn't even want that child, I can tell. What responsibility does that girl have to hold a child, if she gets pregnant on one drunken stand?"

"Why are you so bothered about this, Adriana?" Elijah sighed, shaking his head slightly in confusion.

"I just told you why." She sneered at him. "That girl is far to irresponsible to even dream of being a mother."

"No, you didn't." He shot back. "I think the real reason you dislike Hayley, is because your jealous."

"I am not." Adriana squawked, her mouth falling open in disbelief.

"Yes you are." Elijah accused. "You've always dreamt of having another child, Adriana, admit it. After you lost Cienna, you couldn't handle it, you wanted someone to fill the void. And now, my brother gets a baby with a woman over a one night stand, and you can't comprehend that."

"I don't want another baby." Adriana said, staring him down. "All I want, is what I've always wanted, my baby back. All I've ever wanted in this world, Elijah, is to have my daughter back. I don't want another one."

Deathly silence filled the air around them. The type of silence that pushed you to say something, just so it would go away.

But neither of them said anything, choosing instead to stare.

 _"Mama?"_

 _"Yes, Cienna?"_

 _"Why do they keep calling you a whore?"_

 _Adriana shut her eyes, a deep sigh escaping her pink lips, not wanting to face her daughter as she said this._

 _"Mama did a very bad thing once, Cienna." She finally said, her voice coming out soft, opening her eyes to look down at the blue-green eyes of her daughter. "And, in the eyes of them, that makes Mama a very bad person."_

 _"I don't think you're a bad person, Mama." Cienna spoke clearly, her young face filled with pride. "I think you're the best person I know."_

 _"Thank you, sweetie." Adriana laughed lightly, kneeling down infront of her daughter. "But please don't say that word again, alright?"_

 _"Yes Mama." Cienna nodded, her face screwed up in confusion. "Mama?"_

 _"Yes sweetie?"_

 _Cienna threw herself at her mother, wrapping her small arms around Adriana's neck._

 _"I love you." Cienna muttered into Adriana's neck, her tiny, chubby weaving themselves into her hair._

 _"I love you too, sweetheart."_

Adriana loved her daughter. No question about it.

That's the bond between a mother and daughter, the one every parent has with her child.

 _"I'm going to protect you." Adriana whispered to the baby in her arms. "I'm not going to allow anyone to take you away from me. I promise."_

 _The baby squirmed in her arms, whimpering slightly._

 _"No ones going to take you away from me. And if they do, I will not rest until I find you again."_

When Adriana's deep brown eyes fluttered open, she was lying on the floor of an attic.

The floor was wooden, the entire room spacious, a table set up across from her, various ingredients set upon it.

And then, Adriana saw her.

The girls back was rigid, ready to defend herself if it came to it. Power coated her like a blanket.

A witch?

Oh the joy.

Please note the sarcasm.

It was the girls face that caught her attention though. The darkness of her hair, the green-blue colour of her eyes, how she stared at her with a strength that Adriana only saw when she looked in the mirror.

 _"We are the Mafiay family." Adriana told her daughter strongly. "We don't need a man to survive, men need us. We can survive without their help, we are no damsels, because not everyone can be a princess. We are strong, and we are clever. Men need us to survive, never will it be the other way round."_

"Who are you?" The girl asked her, her voice strong like a sharpened knife. "And why do you look like me?"

"Oh my god."

Adriana's voice sounded chapped, like she was holding in tears.

She was.

Yes, even after nine hundred years, Adriana still loved her daughter.

 **...**

Whatever gives life can just as easily take it away. The water we live off can drown us, and the food we eat can choke us. Drinking too much blood can get you staked.

And if you stay with one person long enough, you can begin to rely on them too much.

You don't separate them. No matter how desperate you get. Whatever you do, you must not separate them.


	2. Organs In A Stew

**AN: WHAT!? You guys are absuloutly amazing, not even the second chapter yet and over 40 favourites! WOW! That's amazing. Thank you all for you wonderful reviews, all of them made me smile. Well, I hope you enjoy this one as well!**

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 **Organs In A Stew**

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 **In which love is like water**

* * *

Adriana had often wondered what happened to her daughter. What the witches actually did with her.

She wasn't dead, Adriana convinced herself every time she closed her eyes that her daughter wasn't dead. She could feel it. The nagging feeling weighing down in her head, the type that wouldn't just go away.

A mother knows everything that happened to their child, they would know if they were dead. It is a truth that the whole world knows, but not every one may accept.

But, all the same, it is true.

This girl wasn't a descendant, however crazy she may sound, Adriana knew this was her daughter.

Slowly, Adriana rose to her feet. Blinking back tears that had formed in her eyes.

"What's your name?" She asked gently, taking a tiny, tentive, step forward. As if she was approaching a frightened animal.

"Davina." Cie-Davina introduced stiffly after a long pause. "You didn't answer my question."

"My name is Adriana." Adriana introduced herself, taking another step forward so she stood several centimeteres infront of her. "Adriana Mafiay."

"You're the wife." Davina accused, looking the older woman up and down. "Marcel told me about you."

"Is that what people are calling me?" Adriana smiled gently, a small scoff escaping her lips. "Sweetie, I'm much more than that."

Davina breathed out, obviously trying to calm herself down.

No, please don't be scared.

Please.

"Why do I feel like I've seen you before?" Davina eventually asked her, blue eyes scanning the woman up and down.

If Adriana had been alone that moment, she would've have jumped up and down like a school girl.

Instead, a broken smile appeared on her face. The breath she didn't realise she was holding escaping her lips.

"I don't know, little light."

 _"Adriana Mafay, servant of Dominico Salvatore, daughter of no man, and server of old gods. You are here by decreed by the Mayor of Italy, to be cast out of Venice. You can still work here, but you will be forever shunned by the people. You are to gain not help or petty sympathy from a widow, the punishment, if so, is death. Do you agree to these terms?"_

 _The dirty rag around her mouth was ripped away hareshly, the two men behind her keeping her on her knees._

 _"I do." The woman gasped, covered in sweat and mud. Blood coated her bare legs, her dress soaked in the crimson liquid._

 _"In agreement to these terms, you give up all your personal possessions, your name, and your child to execution."_

 _"No."_

 _The sound was loud and sharp, the monsters of men dragging her back when she surged forward._

 _"You refuse?" The judge stared down at her coldly, his grey, wrinkled skin contrasting with the dark colours of his robe. "Who are you to refused the law Adriana Mafiay? You have no rights, no man to represent you."_

 _"I'm a mother." Adriana answered, her voice letting an icy fire spread around the room. "I'm a fighter. I'm a survivor. I'm Adriana Mafiay, mother of Cienna Mafiay, and I don't need any man."_

 _She let her head fall to the side, twisting her head when the guards tried to force the gag back on her._

 _"So, who are you to say what happens to my daughter? You said so yourself, I have no one to represent me, my family. So, I do believe it is my right to decide what happens to my daughter."_

 _"You are a scarlet woman, a sinner." The judge roared, standing up in his oak seat. "Who are you to question my rule?"_

 _"I'm Adriana Angelo Mafiay." The woman hissed. "A woman who wants her child back. Now!"_

Adriana didn't event try to get back to the hell that was purgatory. Instead, she chose to sit in the shadows of the attic, always keeping one eye on Davina as the girl eventually got used to her lingering prescense.

A loud voice interupted their peaceful silence.

"Davina, come on out, sweetheart."

Adriana slowly sat up straight, moving in the shadows so she could see who was at the door.

The minute she saw him, Adriana sweared that she was going to murder Elijah.

Give it a few decades, she'd find a way.

For a century, Elijah had told Adriana that Marcel was dead. Refused to let her return to New Orleans just to see if he had, somehow, escaped Mikaels slaughter.

She said nothing though, watching in the shadows as Davina walked to stand next to him.

"Invite her in." Marcel demanded of Davina.

Adriana pursed her lips to contain a growl. In all technicality, her daughter was older than him.

"Come in." Davina complied anyway.

Rebekah stepped in, confidently striding over to Elijahs coffin, she quickly opened the lid and, before anyone could stop her, pulled out the dagger.

"I wouldn't do that." Davina stated, her voice coated with magic. The sound forcing Rebekah to shove the dagger back into her brother.

"Who the hell are you?" Rebekah asked, turning to Davina, finally getting a good look at the young girl. "And why do you look like Adriana?"

"I am standing right here you know." Adriana spoke up, carefully stepping out from her hiding place. "Hello littlest warrior, you're supposed to be dead."

"Adriana Mafiay." Marcel smirked, surprise briefly flickering in his eyes. "I knew I recognised Davina from somewhere."

"She's an old one, isn't she?" Davina asked Marcel, breaking the icy tension that was starting to fill the room.

"Rebekah is an Original, which means she can't be killed." Marcel explained, finally ripping his confused gaze away from Adriana.

"She doesn't seem very nice." Davina deadpanned, reminding Rebekah dangerously of Adriana.

The Italian woman herself, hid a small laugh, instead a light grin graced her face.

"She can be; but she hasn't been very nice to me tonight." Marcel said, making Adriana raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"Then I'm afraid it's time for you to leave." Davina stated, magically propelling Reekah across the room. All three of them watching as she slammed against the walls several times before flying out the door. The door closing behind her.

All without moving a muscle.

With a small strangled sound, Adriana's mouth fell open, glancing at the door and then at her daughter, and then back to the door. She blinked several times, not knowing what to say.

"Remind me to never get on your bad side." Adriana finally breathed out, a tiny, proud smile etching onto her face.

It took Marcel two seconds to have her against the wall by her neck.

Thank Jupiter Elijah was daggered, this would feel awful otherways.

"Hello to you too." Adriana choked out with a laugh, quickly grabbing Marcels wrist and throwing him off her. "I would have thought that you'd be more exited to see me."

"You're supposed to be dead." Marcel snarled, Adriana only side stepping whe he charged at her. "He told me you were dead."

"Surprise!" Adriana waved, childish enjoyment coming forth in her voice. "Not a lot can kill me nowadays, sweetheart."

"Both of you stop it." Davina spoke up, standing between them. "Please, Marcel, let Adriana stay. She's the only connection I have to my family."

"Whoever said she was your family? She's over nine hundred years old." Marcel said, he and Adriana glaring eachother down.

"Standing right here." Adriana drawled out, her eyes cold and arms folded.

"My magic recognises her." Davina persisted. "Please, for me."

"Fine then." Marcel caved, casting a dark look at Adriana. "One wrong move, Adriana, and I'll find a stake with your name on it."

"Yes sir." Adriana grinned mockingly, sticking out her tongue once his back was turned.

 _"Adriana?"_

 _"Yes Marcellus."_

 _Adriana's eyes raised from her work or stare at the child that stood on the other side of her desk. He shifted on one foot to the other, obviously nervous._

 _"Why are you and Elijah always arguing? I thought married people were supossed to be in love."_

 _A loud sigh filled the room as Adriana stood up from her seat, crossing around her desk to kneel infront of him._

 _"Shouldn't you be asking Klaus about this?" She asked gently, holding his hands in hers._

 _"He told me to ask Rebekah, who told me to ask Elijah, but the maids say that Elijah has been furious this whole morning." Marcel explained, refusing to meet her eyes. "So I came to you."_

 _"No one is perfect, sweetie." Adriana explained, softly pushing his head so he would look at her. "Elijah and I argue because, over a long course of time, each of us has made many mistakes. And, we will make many more, but sometimes we have had enough of one another's mistakes and seperates for a while. Start arguing about the petty things in life."_

 _"You still love eachother though, don't you?"_

 _"Love in itself is very subjective, Marcel." Adriana sighed again, holding Marcels chin so he would keep looking at her. "There is a very thin line between love and hate. Love is like water, littlest warrior, it can slip through your fingers yet be strong enough to hold up a ship. Love keeps us up on even the toughest of today's. It's your easiest hello, yet hardest goodbye."_

 _"Must you fill his head with your riddles, my wife?"_

 _Elijahs rich voice filled the room, both Adriana and Marcel turning to see him leaning in the doorway._

 _"Rebekah is trying to find you, Marcellus." He said, smiling at them both. "It's best not to keep her waiting."_

 _Marcellus quickly scurried away, Adriana slowly raising to her feet. Not even acknowledging his existence as she sat back down behind her desk._

 _He stayed for several moments, before sighing and turning to leave just as she spoke._

 _"You stink of that whore." Adriana said casually, not even looking up as she wrote. "If you want me too speak to you in a civilised manner, I suggest you get rid off that horrible stench."_

 _"I can say the exact same thing to you Adriana." Elijah said stiffly, smelling the lingering scent that stuck to her skin like a leech. "At least I have some class about it."_

 _With a growl, Adriana grabbed the sharpened knife that rested on her desk, and threw it at him with perfect precision._

 _Elijah smirked when he heard it hit the closed door with a thud._

 _They both reside in the thin line between love and hate, constantly trying to push the other over the edge._

 _It's a dangerous game. What they do. Their forever close to falling off._

 _Every once in a while, one of them will trip, fall over into a bottomless pit. Sometimes they both go down._

 _The whole thing is rather tragic really._

Adriana awoke to the sound of ruffling fabric. The small woman quickly scrambling to her feet and rushing over to Davina, sitting on the edge off her bed and shaking her thoroughly.

"Davina." She hissed, her eyes darkening with worry. "Wake up little light, it's just a dream."

"Magic." Davina said, startling up from her bed and running across the room to her easel.

"Little light?" Adriana questioned with worry, running to appear infront of Davina. "What are you doing?"

"No!" Davina screamed out of the blue, raising her hands to do, something.

"Okay." Adriana blinked in confusion. "Can you please tell me what your doing?"

It took half an hour before Marcel returned, and Davinas anxiety was starting to make Adriana fidgety.

Davina was sitting before Elijahs open casket when Marcel returned. Adriana letting out a sigh of relief when Davina ran to hug him.

"You're okay!" Davina shouted, relief filling the air. "I was so worried."

"Thank you." Marcel breathed down to her, Adriana observing them like a predator with its prey. "Whatever you did, I felt it. You helped me."

"It was the old ones, wasn't it?"

"Originals, honey." Adriana corrected for the umpteenth time that day.

"Actually, Klaus is the one that saved me tonight." Marcel admitted. "I'm gonna make things right, starting off by giving him his brother back."

"Do we have too?" Adriana whined with a sneer. "This is the first small amount of peace I've had in centuries. Not too mention the fact that Elijah is really annoying. Can't we just leave him daggered? For the teeniest, tiniest bit longer?"

"We can't undagger him." Davina said, sounding slightly upset.

"What? Davina-" Marcel was cut off by the shake of Davina's head.

"No! You said the old ones were dangerous." Davina said, confidence lacing her voice. "I won't give him back until I know how to kill them."

"Say what now?" Adriana choked out, her eyes widening in surprise.

The Gods hated her.

Adriana was sure of it.

Davina had inherited Demetri's twisted stubborness, that much Adriana knew.

"Tell me everything you know." Davina had demanded of her. The moment Marcel had left.

"Don't want to." Adriana huffed, turning to stare out the window.

"Tell me."

"No."

"Then at least tell me how we're, somehow, related." Davina stated, staring fiery daggers into the woman's back.

"I had a daughter once, a long time ago." Adriana admitted, fiddling with her fingers. "Her name was Cienna, and I loved her more than anything. She was taken from me, snatched out of my arms by witches. I never knew what happened, and I never saw her again."

"How old was she?"

Adriana laughed dryly, refusing to meet Davinas eyes as all the lies tumbled from her lips.

"She was three."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." She breathed out heavily, finally meeting Davinas eyes with a tiny smile. "It's all over now."

All three off them leaned over Elijahs coffin, Davina trying desperately to find something that would cause even just a dent in him. Marcel was their for supervising, and Adriana was just there for fun.

"This sucker's resilient. He's like a cockroach in a suit." Marcel commented after several failures.

"Try living with him." Adriana muttered, sneering down at her husband. "He's more like a rat."

"Doesn't matter. Time to give ol' Elijah back to Klaus, anyway."

"You asked me to figure out a way to kill the Originals. I'm not done!" Davina said, frustrated with her failure. "The silver dagger hurts them, but that's it."

"Davina, we've been through this." Marcel sighed. "Klaus saved my life, I owe him one. Since he wants his brother back–"

"Tonight's the annual Dauphine Street Music Festival. I wanna go. Please?" Davina interrupted, quickly changing the subject.

"The whole point of you being up here is so you're never spotted out there." Marcel pointed out. "You know who works smack in the middle of Dauphine Street? Sophie Deveraux. Pain in the ass witch? And you know what the witches will do to you if they find you."

"But you control the witches." Davina pouted. "Make her go away! Marcel, it's one night!"

"I said, no." Marcel stated firmly.

"It's best if you just stay here, little light." Adriana said quickly, trying to diffuse the situation. "We don't want you getting hurt."

Hey, there was a first time for everything.

"I do anything you say, but sometimes I think you forget what I'm capable of." Davina told Marcel, ignoring Adriana's advice. "Did you know I can make someone's blood boil? All I have to do is focus."

The sound of faint crackling filled Adriana's ears as Marcel started visibly sweating. The sound going away as quickly as it came.

"Fine." Marcel caved. "We compromise, all right? You going out alone? Too dangerous. But, I'll introduce you to a friend of mine that's going to be there. Alright? Nice lady. You two are really gonna hit it off."

"Excuse us for one minute, little light." Adriana smiled kindly, though Marcel could easily hear the strain in her voice as she dragged him out of earshot. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Letting her go to the festival." Marcel said bluntly. "Since when did you have a say in what she did?"

"You're suppose to keep her safe." Adriana shrieked quietly. "This is not keeping her safe."

"Again, when did you have a say?"

"I'm her mother." She hissed highly. "Of course I have a say."

Marcels face showed several expressions over a span of several seconds, while Adriana's eyes widened when she realised what she had just said.

"Say one word, Marcellus." Adriana threatened lowly, jabbing a small finger at him. "One, tiny, word. And I will rip out all your organs and feed them to your followers in a stew. Do you understand me?"

"What?"

"One word..." Adriana slowly dragged her finger across her neck to punctuate her point. "That's all it will take."

"Davina is Elijahs step daughter." Marcel grinned in amusement.

"This isn't funny Marcellus." Adriana growled lowly. "How, in the name of Pluto, am I supossed to explain this? To both of them. Hey dear husband of mine, who I've been avoiding these past days. The witch who tried to kill you is technically your step daughter. Just thought you'd like to know. You don't just drop that into a conversation."

"You've got to admit it's funny though."

"One word."

"Okay, okay. I won't say anything."

"Good."

 _Adriana Mafiay was like a female Sweeny Todd._

 _Yes, if you're wondering, she did used to put the flesh of enemies into the stews of people she hated._

 _The Mikaelsons were dining with the Dawkinres family that night, a neighbouring vampire family that had the intelligence of a stuffed animal._

 _They had, with the grace of a dying cat, scrambled into the castle and demanded to eat with them. The clan leader recognising all the brothers instantly, and instantly tried discussing the dowry for his 'beautiful' daughters._

 _In Adriana's opinion, all three of them resembled horses greatly._

 _The final straw came when they insulted her intelligence. When the eldest daughter knocked on her door and demanded she keep her 'dirty servant hands' off 'her' Elijah._

 _The horse carried on saying how she and Elijah were meant for eachother. How they would ride off into the sunset and burn her like the witch she was._

 _The whole mental image made Adriana want to puke. She wasn't sure if a horse could handle this woman's weight._

 _She should really look in the mirror._

 _So, Adriana would do what any three hundred year old, slightly insane, vampire would do._

 _She put human flesh in their stew and vervained their drinks._

 _Her fun started the minute they took a mouthful of the strew, all five family members pulling a face at the rotten taste of it, quickly scrambling to their drinks to wash out the taste._

 _All of them screeching loudly as it burned their mouths._

 _"Is now a good time to mention that I may, or may not have, put human organs in your stew?" She asked innocently, taking a small sip of her drink._

 _Reactions varied, Kol and Klaus had a look of mild surprise, Rebekah looked extremely put off. Elijah? Well, Elijah just pinched his nose to let out some frustration._

 _Adriana just smiled innocently, and carried on eating like nothing had happened._


	3. The Bane Of My Existence

**AN: Whoo! You are all amazing! I go on holiday on Tuesday, so the next update may be a bit late. Just a pre-warning. Thank you, for all that reviewed, favourited and followed. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **The Bane Of My Existence**

* * *

 **In which Elijah wakes up**

* * *

"Can you please at least close your eyes, it's really creepy."

 _Look away then._ Elijahs snarky voice said, filling her head as the grey corpse stared up at her.

"I can feel your eyes on me." Adriana hissed down at him, a sneer settling on her face. "I can feel you judging me, stop judging me."

 _You called me a rat._

"Okay, I am five seconds away from shutting this lid in your face." Adriana deadpanned, reaching towards the top of the coffin. "How do you even know I called you that?"

 _I can get inside your head, Adriana._ Elijah explained, internally rolling his eyes at her. _And what interesting things I found..._

That one phrase set Adriana on alert.

Her back straightened to a point and a chilling glare settled in her eyes. Her shin rose, her voice calm and confident as she spoke.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

 _Oh, but I think you do._ Elijahs cool voice filled her head after a pause. _Little light. Could you be more obvious? Cienna; light. The girl looks like you, acts exactly like you, and she just so happens to be a witch. I'm not an idiot Adriana._

A tiny hiss escaped her lips as she turned on her heel and strutted away from him. Muttering several obscenities under her breath.

 _Come now Adriana. This is, in all technicality, my step daughter we're talking about. Or have you decided to ignore the existence of that fact?_

"La, la, la, la, la." She muttered as she walked away from the coffin, choosing to completely blank out his existence. "I'm not listening."

 _Adriana, are you seriously going to resort to this childish behaviour? Adriana?_

"Not listening to you. La, la, la, la, la." Adriana sang under her breath moving to the other side of the attic.

A loud sigh resounded in her head. As if Elijah was the one dealing with the problem.

Egotistic idiot.

Maybe she should just find some wood and stick it through his heart, maybe that would make him shut up.

 _You're going to do no such thing, Adriana._

"Get out of my head!" Adriana hissed, glaring over her shoulder at the coffin. "Don't you have someone else you can bother?"

 _Oh, but Adriana. You're so fun to annoy._ His sarcastic voice echoed around her brain as she scoffed.

"Ignoring you." She drawled out, not looking at him as she spoke.

 _I hate you too, Adriana._

"Oh, little warrior." She laughed lightly, thought it was cold and held no mirth. "What do you know of hate?"

 _More than you'd expect me too, gypsy girl._

It was quiet for several moments. Adriana mumbling to herself and blocking out the outside world.

Well, until she found herself in eighteenth century clothing and surrounded by velvet.

"What the bloody hell?" Rebekah called out, snapping Adriana out of her mumblings.

"Rebekah, language, please!" Elijahs voice pleaded.

"Elijah!"

"Elijah." Adriana stated, turning around to glare at them both. "A little warning could be useful."

"Lovely to see you too, Adriana." Elijah laughed, Rebekah running towards him and hugging him tightly.

"What is all this?" Rebekah said, finally pulling away.

"You don't remember?" Elijah asked her. "We went to the opera house together. It was your first full day back into New Orleans' society after Klaus removed the dagger from you. It's a memory that only you, I, and Adriana share. Also, I needed to know it wasn't another one of Davina's tricks."

Adriana shot him a warning look, fully aware of the implication he was putting forward.

"Well, how are you even awake?" Rebekah asked.

"Davina removed the dagger, unaware that doing so even once would negate the dagger's power." Elijah smiled. "In a few hours, I shall be as good as new."

"So, pop me into the attic and we can find a way to get you out."

"I'm afraid I'm not quite ready to leave yet, Rebekah." He paused for a minute, glancing at Adriana. "This girl, Davina, she's, curious. Willful, too." He poured himself and Rebekah a drink, Adriana scowling at him when he offered. "Soon, I shall be able to speak to her, perhaps to even propose a truce of some kind. So, if we can end this war between the vampires and the witches, we'll be able to eliminate the threat to Hayley and her baby. Perhaps then Niklaus and our entire family can finally know peace." He handed Rebekah her drink. "In the meantime, I need you to look after Hayley. She is our family now, so I need her and her unborn child to fall underneath our protection. Swear to me, Rebekah."

The scene faded away after Elijahs speech, the familiar appearance of the attic returning.

"Don't worry, Rebekah." Adriana grumbled, suddenly appearing infront of Rebekah. "I'll, reluctantly, do what I've always done. Make sure he doesn't kill himself."

Rebekah nodded hesitantly, casting one last look at her elder brother. "Thank you, Adriana."

"Don't thank me just yet."

There is something about your daughter crying, that sets a mother over the edge.

Children cry loudly because they want attention, but some cry silently because they can't stop.

And that's terrifying to a mother, the feeling that your child is truly upset, and there is nothing you can do to stop it.

Davina was holding a broken violin when she ran into the attic, tears running down her face.

"Davina?" Adriana called after her as she ran by. "Little light, what's wrong?"

Davina didn't answer her, deciding instead to curl up by the window, wiping the tears off her cheeks.

"Little light?" Adriana asked carefully, striding forward to sit next to her. "Tell me what happened, where is Marcel?"

She didn't answer her, just stubbornly stared out the window. Clutching the broken violin to her chest.

"Davina." Adriana's voice was firm, gently reaching out a hand and lightly pushing Davina's head so that she would look at her. "Talk to me."

"Leave me alone, Adriana." Davina finally breathed out after a small pause.

"Little light, only the Gods of Olympus would make me leave you alone." She laughed lightly, the sound making a small smile breakout on Davina's face. "Now, tell me, who made you cry? Would you like me to skin them alive?"

When Davina didn't answer, Adriana did the only thing she knew would work when it came to her daughter.

She hugged her.

The type of warm protective ones you can only get from a parent, the ones that make you feel like everything was going to be okay.

Davina looked at the wind chimes a small melody beginning to play, leaning into Adriana when it did, as if she was trying to soak in all her warmth.

The small sound of movement made them both look up, to see Elijah standing infront of them. His sky still slightly grey from the dagger.

"It's all right, Davina." He said gently, looking down at the girl cocooned in his wife's arms. "I don't mean you any harm, though I do think it's time we had a talk."

"Davina, meet my husband, and also the bane of my existence." Adriana stated, shooting a look to Elijah that read: 'one word, and I will rip out your kidneys'. "Do try to get along."

One minute later, all three of them were standing. Adriana stood next to Elijah, glancing nervously between the two. Giving Elijah a sharp look when his eyes flashed slightly to Davinas pulse.

"You're the one they call honorable." Davina started, in a tone that Elijah had heard Adriana use many times.

"Yes, that's what they call me." He smiled. "And yet, I followed my brother here to New Orleans to engage in a war. So, I ask you- does that sound honorable to you?"

"You don't look well." Davina said, her tone never changing.

"Well, only this morning, I had a mystical dagger embedded in my chest, so I'd say I'm holding myself together quite well." He paused for a beat. "Davina, I believe that you and I have the power to end a war between witches and vampires before it truly begins. I, by keeping my brother in line; you, by behaving like your true self, not some tool for Marcel or the witches."

"And why should I trust you?"

"You don't have a reason, he can't be trusted." Adriana said coldly.

"Well, for one thing, in spite of a ravenous hunger, I have not tried to take your blood."

"Why not? I'm the only one here." Davina shrugged.

"Don't push him, little light." Adriana warned. "I wouldn't trust him with a plant."

"You are the one that can't be trusted with a plant, Adriana." Elijah said, turning to her for a second. "Even in my present condition, I would not feed from a child. Besides, Adriana would kill me, or at the very least try to, and I am in no position to agitate my wife any further."

"And yet you still do." Adriana muttered, stepping forward slightly and holding out her hand. "Little light, give me the pin." Adriana rose an elegant eyebrow at the look Davina shot her. "Don't give me that look young lady, I know you have it. Give me."

Davina handed her the pin, looking rather confused as she did so.

"I can not believe I am doing this." Adriana said, roughly slashing the pin across her wrist. "Here you go, that should keep you going for a bit, do try not to get hooked."

Elijah carefully rose her wrist to his lips, gently sucking on the wound. Growling slightly when Adriana ripped her wrist away from him.

"We don't want a repeat of the twentieth century, no more for you."

Davina was a brilliant drawer, Adriana marvelled at the easel taking in the flower that she was currently drawing.

She was flipping through one of Davinas sketchbooks when she came across it.

It was just a simple sketch, it was of a small woman, her back was turned to the sketcher, and she seemed to be cleaning something with a broom.

A glowing fire could be seen in the corner, and the room seemed to be mad of stone, dirt clung to the women, but you could tell she was happy.

"Davina?" She asked nervously, showing her the text. "Where did you get inspiration for this?"

"It appeared in a vision once." Davina shrugged, turning back to her current drawing. "I've never been able to get that woman's face."

"Do you play?" Elijah asked out of the blue, holding up the violin Davina had been holding earlier.

"That's not mine." Davina said sadly.

Elijah nodded, sitting down and starting to fix the violin, while Adriana flipped through Davinas sketchbook. Both of them heard Marcels footsteps, Elijah quickly grabbing Adriana and pulling them both out of sight.

"Good news, Little D." Marcel announced, entering the attic room. "I'm moving you out this pile of dust."

"Are you serious?" Davina asked happily. "When?"

"Tonight." Marcel stated. "I just need to lock in the arrangements. How's our Original?"

He moved to open the coffin, but Davinas slightly panicked voice stopped him before he could.

"Don't disturb the body! I have a spell in progress."

"Bet you do." Marcel shrugged, deciding not to question it. "Pack up, 'kay? Only what you wanna take. I'll buy ya anything else you need."

"Okay." Davina said, Adriana knowing that she was feigning excitement.

The second Marcel left, Elijah and Adriana stepped away from their hiding place.

"You didn't reveal that I was awake." Elijah said, surprise lacing his voice.

"We're not done talking yet." Davina smiled.

"You and Marcel seem very close." Elijah commented, glancing briefly art Adriana, who had taken to inspecting one of the many ornaments that littered the attic.

"Marcel's my family."

Elijah could see how Adriana very briefly froze at the statement, though she quickly regained her composure before Davina could notice anything.

"And yet Marcel is someone who delights in harming the witches. Those people, I would think, you would consider family. This doesn't trouble you?"

"No. They deserve it."

"Why would you say that?" Adriana spoke up, worry and confusion forefront in her voice. "I've had my own bad experience with witches. But you? What made you switch teams?"

"'Cause they're liars. All of them." Davina explained. "They made me and my friends do this Harvest ritual. They said our participation would bring our family strength, health that we'd forever be celebrated as saviors of the community. But all they really wanted was more power. So, I left before they could get it. Now, they're running out of time, because after the Harvest, comes the Reaping. And if they don't complete the Harvest, there won't _be_ a Reaping. Soon, all the witches in the Quarter will start to lose their power. Eventually, they will cease to be witches altogether."

"So what does it take to complete this ritual?" Elijah asked, already noticing which direction this was heading in.

"I have to die." Davina sighed.

Oh, hell no.

Not on my watch, sweetheart.

"So, enlighten me. What did you mean when you said you had to die?" Elijah asked while Davina was packing her suitcase, still fiddling with the violin.

"That she gets to ride off into the sunset." Adriana sneered at him. "And make daisy chains for the rest of eternity. What do you think? Idiot."

"That's what the Harvest was." Davina explained, smiling at Adriana's bluntness. "They said they'd put us four girls in a state of, like, peaceful limbo as part of the offering. And then later, at the Reaping, we'd awaken and be reborn. I never got as far as the limbo part, which means the Harvest isn't complete. That's why the witches are so freaked out. The Reaping is just around the corner, and if they don't finish it before then, it's over. All I have to do is wait it out."

"And then what?" Elijah asked, leaning back in his chair.

"They're punished, and I'm free."

"From Marcel?" Adriana asked.

"Of magic." Davina smiled. "All our power will drain away. I'll be normal."

"Is that what you want?" Elijah questioned, obviously confused. "To be normal?"

"I just don't wanna be what I am. I can't control it sometimes. Magic. I." Her voice broke slightly, and tears filled her eyes. "Hurt people. Even when I don't mean to."

"Why don't you tell me about your friends? You must miss them." Elijah said patiently.

"Oh, don't be such an insensitive twat Elijah." Adriana said stiffly. "Can't you see that she's upset?"

"There's Tim." Davina smiled gently, clearing away her tears. "He doesn't know about any of this witch stuff. He's normal. My best friend, Monique. She was a part of the Harvest too. She's lucky. No one ever fought for me, but someone fought for her. The only one who ever spoke out against the Harvest was Monique's aunt."

"And who is that?

"Sophie Deveraux." Davina sighed.

"Well, what do you know?" Adriana grinned. "It's a small world after all."

"No one but Sophie ever questioned the Harvest." Davina continued. "Not even my own mother. So, neither did I. We thought it was such an honor, we had such faith. We were so stupid."

"So, how did it begin?" Elijah asked.

"We were led out like princesses. My mother was so proud."

"Everyone involved in the ritual knew that this would happen." Adriana whispered in realisation, a look of horror crawling on her face.

"Except the four of us." Davina nodded. "They weren't putting us to sleep, they were slaughtering us. I _begged_ for someone to help. My own mother turned away from me. Sophie screamed and screamed for her sister, _anyone_ , to do something. But no one did."

"And yet, you survived." Elijah pointed out, Adriana looking to horrified to speak. "Therefore, someone or something intervened."

"Yes. Someone finally did." Davina nodded, her eyes filling with unshod tears at the memory. "Every girl who died released her power on to the next. When I was the last one, I suddenly had all of it, all the power that was supposed to be released back into the earth to appease our ancestors."

"So, the Harvest was actually working?" Elijah asked in surprise.

 _"Something_ was working." Davina stressed. "And I knew that I was supposed to be killed so the Harvest could be completed and we would all be resurrected. But, they _lied_ to us about how they were killing us. How do I know they weren't lying to us about coming back? But mostly, I just didn't want to die. So, I let him save me. Marcel saved my life."

"You may return this now to its rightful owner." Elijah said, proudly holding up the fully restored violin. "It's restored."

"We can see that." Adriana drawled out sarcastically.

"I don't even know if I'll see him again." Davina said, taking the instrument and staring down at it sadly.

The ground started shaking then, causing Adriana to shriek like a frightened animal and cling onto the nearest object, which just happened to be Elijah.

"Davina, this power that you contain, drawn from your fallen friends, it's too much for you." Elijah started, once the shaking had stopped. "You need control, which requires study and practice. Now, my mother was a very powerful witch. She left behind her grimoires, a legacy of books filled with spells. These books contain all of the tools that you might need to control your magic. If you free me from here, I can share them with you. However, if you leave now with Marcel, we'll never see each other again, and we will not be able to find you, and then we can't help you."

"The witches manipulated me." Davina said. "You know how that ended."

"This is not manipulation. This is one thing in exchange for another. I'm offering you a deal."

"Honey, do I look like I can manipulate anyone." Adriana scoffed, pointing to herself.

"You're the most manipulative one out of the two of us, Adriana." Elijah grinned.

"Shut up, Elijah!"

Adriana stepped out of the shadows once Marcel and Davina left, sashaying to the coffin and kicking it roughly.

"Get up, Elijah." She snapped. "You're not Dracula, get out of the coffin."

"Hello Adriana." Elijah said, casually climbing out of the coffin and shutting the lid. "How lovely it is to see you."

"Shut up."

"You shut up."

It was then that the ground below them starting shaking, Adriana shrieking quietly and clinging onto Elijah, muttering several swear words as she did.

"Get off me, Adriana." Elijah said, once the shaking had stopped, dragging them both into a hiding spot. "You're not a cat."

"I hate earthquakes." She announced, staring at the ground like it had offended her.

"Elijah? Adriana?" Davina called out, once Marcel had left.

"I'm pleased you stayed." Elijah said as they both stepped out of hiding.

"You'll keep your promise about your mother's spell book?" Davina asked.

"I will." Elijah confirmed. "You know, difficulties aside, I value my family above everything. I am sorry that yours failed you."

"Your brother Klaus handed you to Marcel in a box, yet you still don't give up on him?" Davina asked.

"I know." Adriana sighed, running a hand across her face. "Trust me, you don't want to get involved in that one, little light. It's enough to give me a headache."

"Well, I've given up on giving up. It's an affliction." Elijah smiled at Adriana. "I will fight for my family until my last breath."

"And I'll fight the witches until mine."


	4. Opia

**AN: Woah! This is a long one! Sorry I've been gone so long. To those who want Elijah to suffer, it will come, it will come... Anyway, over 100 follows! You are all superb! ENJOY!**

* * *

 **Opia**

* * *

 **In which Adriana is (technically) a doctor**

* * *

"I am going to kill them."

The minute they stepped out of the church, the ticking bomb inside of Adriana exploded with a flourish.

"I'm going to throttle them." She continued, her back arched and teeth bared like a wild cat. "Skin them alive and hang them up like meat in a locker. I'll feed their flesh to their husbands and children, and then slowly squeeze out every last drop of magic in them. Because no one, and I repeat, no one, is going to lay one gods forsaken harming hand on my daughter."

"Lovely, Adriana." Elijah commented, his face as blank as always. "Now, can we get back to the task at hand."

"Yes." She nodded. "Finding those witches and skinning them alive. Finally we're on the same page."

"That is not what I meant, we're never on the same page for a reason Adriana." Elijah deadpanned as they turned a corner. "I was planning to find my brother."

"Well, your plan is stupid." Adriana drawled out, glaring at him as the walked across the road. "My plan sounds so much more exhilarating."

"And your plan will get us killed." Elijah countered, glancing down at her.

"Oh little warrior, you're no fun." She huffed, dramatically rolling her eyes at him.

"I keep us alive, gypsy girl." He corrected, a light smirk finding its way onto his face. "While you try and get us killed in the most violent way possible."

"I try and get you killed. Not me." She muttered, falling in step with him as they quickened the pace. "Did you hear that?"

Both of them froze at the sound of two different voices, Adriana slyly dragging them both into the shadows as they got closer to the source.

Adriana just had to raise an eyebrow at how easily they got into the abattoir, undetected.

She'd have to work on that.

"Well, it seems my brother saved us a trip." Elijah smiled upon seeing Klaus jump from the first floor, and punch Marcel. "Excuse me for one moment, Adriana."

It took half a second for Elijah to get from next to Adriana, to across the room. It took another half of a second to snap Marcels neck.

"Do forgive me, Marcel." He apologised to the unconscious body, Adriana slowly stepping out of the shadows as he did. "If anyone is to teach my brother a lesson, it's me."

"What's with that look, Niklaus?" Adriana asked pleasantly, walking to stand next to Elijah and folding her arms. "You don't look that pleased to see us."

"Adriana and I were just talking about how lovely it was being stuck in an attic for these past few days." Elijah started, glancing at Adriana. "Weren't we dear?"

"Oh yes." Adriana said through gritted teeth, not able to decide which brother she disliked more. "You see, we're just dying to know, why we were daggered in the first place? Do you have any idea sweetheart?"

"No, I'm afraid I don't Adriana." Elijah shrugged, turning to look at his brother. "Care to explain yourself, Niklaus?"

Both of them stared him down, causing Klaus to growl under his breath.

"Oh, sod off, both of you." He grumbled, barging through the gap in the middle of them.

"Elijah! Adri!" Rebekah shouted with glee the moment they stepped through the door, eagerly pulling them into a group hug. "You're safe! Now that you're home, is your first plan to kill Niklaus?"

"We're working on it." Adriana laughed lightly, stepping away from Rebekah.

"Excuse me just a moment." Elijah smiled, walking through the living room, towards the back door.

"Where's he going?" Rebekah asked in confusion, a tiny pout forming on her face.

"I have absuloutly no idea." The pixie like woman shrugged, following Elijah to the back door, she stopped at the door hiding behind it and carefully watching their exchange.

"You're back." The wolf whore said awkwardly.

Adriana may, or may not have, forgotten her name.

What was it? Hayden, Hanson- oh. That was it. _Hayley._

"I'm back." Elijah grinned in confirmation.

There was silence for severel endless seconds, before Hayley hand snatched out and slapped Elijah across the face.

Adriana couldn't help the Cheshire Cat smile that spread across her face.

"Don't make promises you can't keep." She spat, turning to leave. _"_ Welcome home."

Adriana hid away in the shadows as Hayley walked past, not noticing her presence.

"You can come out now Adriana." Elijah called, once he was certain Hayley was out of earshot. "I know you're there."

"Well, what do you know?" Adriana smiled, elegantly stepping onto the patio. "The wolf has fire after all."

"What is your problem with her?" Elijah asked, watching his wife carefully. "She has done nothing to you."

"My problem with her?" Adriana scoffed, leaning on the railing. "My problem with her, is that you're doing the same thing you did over five hundred years ago. Your falling for a pretty face." They stood toe to toe, noses almost touching as he leaned down and stared into her eyes. "It's the same story every time, Elijah! You offer your help to a pretty girl, yet something goes wrong, and their left broken and detached. In the end, you're left to pick up the broken remains of your heart."

She breathed heavily, glaring up at Elijah with her mouth set in a thin line.

"News flash." She hissed, her eyes turning cold. "You're only hurting yourself Elijah. Their not even good women to begin with! All of them have had children with other men, all need your help in some way, all have died. I don't know if you heard Elijah, but the girl you're fantasising about has tried to kill her own child. She chose the quick way out like child, instead of handling the situation like the woman she was!"

She let out a small growl, turning to leave, only for Elijah to grab her hand.

"Every cycle needs something to start it, Adriana." Elijah said seriously, threading his fingers through her tiny left hand, and raising their conjoined hands, so she could see their modest gold band on both of their left hands. "Do remember when I first saw you Adriana? The very first time?"

 _Opia._

 _Noun._ _The ambiguous intensity of looking someone in the eye, which can feel simultaneously invasive and vulnerable._

 _Truth is, that fateful day in Dominico Salvatores estate wasn't the first time Elijah layed eyes on Adriana Mafiay._

 _It was several months before the incident, Adriana had been guiding Cienna threw the stools, a ink black hood obscuring her features so no one would recognise her._

 _She didn't want her daughter to see her being stoned and beaten, her baby was too young to witness that._

 _Elijah and his family had just arrived in the village that very day. So, the Lord had decided to scope around the market, looking for a new journal as his old one was almost full._

 _It was an accident really, Adriana and Cienna had been happy wistfully looking at jewellery they couldn't even dream of affording, when all of a sudden a rowdy child knocked into Adriana, making her hood fall down._

 _In that moment time seemed to freeze for Adriana, the first person to recognise her had been the fisherman son, who screamed with a voice so loud._

 _"Mummy! Mummy! It's that whore you were talking about earlier!"_

 _All eyes slowly followed the little boys excited finger and landed on Adriana and her daughter._

 _That's when the screaming started._

 _Stones were thrown, insults were shouted._

 _And the first thing Adriana did was wrap her arms around her daughter and shielded her from the stones, wishing she could shield her from the words as well._

 _They stayed still, Adriana letting the stones hit her back and head, though she flinched and blood was starting to escape her head, they didn't move._

 _After thirty seconds of merciless throwing, Cienna had enough of the torment._

 _"Stop!" She screamed at the top of her voice, rushing infront of her mother and grabbing onto her rags, facing the gathering crowd face on. "You can't say that to my mummy! You're the monsters! Don't hurt my mummy any longer!"_

 _All the screaming had attracted Elijahs attention, the noble lord weaving his way to the commotion._

 _What he saw shocked him to the core._

 _Two females stood in the centre of the crowd, a tiny child shielding a woman, the woman behind the child was trying desperately to pull her child out of the line of fire._

 _But the child was screaming, sobbing desperately as she clung to her mother like a lifeline._

 _His eyes rose to observe the women, and he swore to any God that he knew, that not even exquisitive Tatia Petrova could compare to her beauty._

 _She was tiny, this woman, but it only added to her beauty. Brown her hung down to the centre of her back, tiny tan hands tried to protect the child. She gazed down at with such deep regret, sadness, and guilt he was almost stuck to the ground._

 _A look like that didn't belong on such a woman._

 _And then her eyes rose and connected to his._

 _Do you know that feeling? When you lock eyes with a person for the first time and your soul goes: 'Oh, there you are. I've been looking for you'._

 _The one where you feel vulnerable yet complete at the same time. The one where you can see worlds yet are rooted to the same spot._

 _They felt it._

"That was a long time ago." Adriana snarled, ripping her hand away from is. "Don't talk to me about facts I already know."

"Then don't do the same to me." Elijah said lowly, dropping his hand back to his side. "I know what I'm doing."

"Oh, little warrior." Adriana hummed, tilting her head to the left. "That's where you go wrong."

"Oh, gypsy girl." Elijah mimicked, staring deep into her blackened soul. "Admit it, you're not in control anymore, and you hate it."

"If by control you mean enjoying my freedom, then yes. I do miss it."

They stood chest to chest, mercilessly staring each other down.

"You can't enjoy something you've never truly had Adriana." Elijah pointed out as they circled each other. "You're jealous. You're like a child having to share their sandbox whenever I take intrest in someone else."

"Does the wolf know she's on her way to being your mistress?" Adriana asked in retaliation. "You never do tell them. Maybe I'll go have a small chat with her now."

"Does Davina know she's your daughter?" Elijah shot back. "Besides, you won't tell Hayley, you always enjoy me trying to explain why I can't marry them."

"I can not believe you renewed our marriage contract." Adriana muttered under her breath. "I swear, you purposely do it just to annoy me."

"You purposely try and get us killed." They were a hairs width away from each other now, and Elijahs voice had taken on a husky quality. "It's like you want me to suffer."

"Sweetheart, I revel in your suffering." Adriana whispered, brushing her lips against his before hareshly pushing him away. "Bye, bye now little warrior. Do try to not get your heart broken."

She disappeared into the house with a cat like purr, likely going to find the furthest room away from his. Elijah snarled at her sudden absence, he too dissappearing into the house with a low growl.

Several minutes later, the Mikaelson siblings Adriana, and Hayley all gathered around in Elijah's study.

"Everything that brought us here to New Orleans was a lie." Elijah started, standing behind his desk. "This story that Sophie Deveraux fabricated, this struggle for control of the French Quarter, this war between vampires and witches, wasn't over territory at all, this was over _Davina_."

He and Adriana exchanged a look, Adriana's stare was cold, warning him not to go any further on the subject of her daughter.

"Eight months ago, Sophie Deveraux and her sister Jane-Anne lost everything. Now, four months after that, a young pregnant girl wanders into their restaurant. Suddenly, all hope is renewed. Jane-Anne actually sacrificed her life so that her sister can use you to find Davina. If Sophie Deveraux is successful in capturing Davina, she can return Jane-Anne's daughter back to life. We thought we'd come here to wage a war for power. This is about family. In order to return her niece to life, Sophie Deveraux will fight to the death. That makes her more dangerous than anyone."

"And what's this business?" Rebekah asked the next morning, gesturing to the dead girl on the table. "Adriana will kill you if she catches a glimpse at this mess."

"This is a..." Elijah trailed off, as if trying to find the right word. _"Peace_ offering."

"I presumed, after so much time desiccating in a coffin, that my big brother might be a bit peckish." Klaus sighed, turning a page in his book.

"And _I_ explained to my little brother that forgiveness cannot be bought. I'd simply prefer to see a change in behavior that indicates contrition and personal growth." Elijah said, looking up and gesturing to the girl. "Not this nonsense."

"Well, I couldn't very well let her go to waste, could I?" Klaus asked, a grin on his face.

"Well, I suppose I'll go fetch the rubbish bin, because she's staining a two hundred-year-old carpet." A sudden idea struck Rebekah, as a small smirk filtered onto her face.

"Don't you dare Rebekah." Elijah warned, already catching onto his sisters plan.

"Adriana!" Rebekah shouted at the top of her voice, walking towards the edge of the staircase. "Adriana! Come down here! You will never believe what-"

"Stop with all the screaming." An annoyed voice moaned, Adriana suddenly appearing at the top of the staircase. "Some of us are trying to relax." Adriana blinked once, her eyes focusing on the source of the commotion. "Rebekah, darling, please tell me why there is a dead girl staining my carpet."

She elegantly walked down the stairs, her eyes sharp and dangerous.

"Niks fault." Rebekah called, flashing a cheeky smile at the hybrid.

"Niklaus, what have I said about staining my carpets?" Adriana dragged out, turning to face him.

"Not to, or you'll kill us." Klaus said flatly, scanning his sister in law carefully.

"Such a shame you can't die." Adriana hummed, flashing from where she stood next to Rebekah to behind him. Before anyone could blink, she grabbed his hair and slammed his skull on the back of the chair. "Oh well, that would have to do."

"That was not necessary, Adri." Klaus scowled, his cracked skull healing instantly.

"But it was." Adriana smiled at him, amusement shining in her eyes. "Bekah, please go find some bleach, and a trash can if you can."

 _"What's going on here?" Elijahs loud voice boomed over everyone else's._

 _The crowd eventually fell silent, all eyes turning to the noble as he charged into the centre. Adriana instinctively stepped back from him as he came closer, pulling Cienna out of his view._

 _"My lord." Voices called out, some desperately trying to stop him from getting to the terrified women. "My lord, you can't. She's a peasant, a slut."_

 _But that didn't stop him. Brushing by all the shocked people, he stood infront of the brunette._

 _Adriana wasn't sure of what to do at that precise moment, had he come too finish her off, or help her? He was so much taller than her, dressed in clothes made for the rich._

 _She breathed in and out heavily, taking another scurried step back as he stepped forward._

 _The crowd was starting to disperse then, whispering about how the Lord would lock the 'devil loving whore' in a cage somewhere far away from them._

 _"Are you okay, miss?" He asked gently, hoping that he didn't frighten her to much._

 _"Don't hurt her." Adriana begged, pulling her daughter even closer to her. "Please, I beg you. Do whatever you want to me, but leave my daughter out of this."_

 _She was hurt, Elijah could smell the blood flowing out of her scratched hands._

 _He would kill them, the monster inside of him swore, he would kill them all._

 _"I'm not going to hurt you." He whispered, taking another step forward. "I'm Elijah, what is your name?"_

 _"Why would you like to know?" Adriana hissed, eyeing warily. "So you can beat me some more? I know your kind, you don't fool me."_

 _Elijah simply raised an eyebrow at her, glancing at he daughter then back to her._

 _Realisation dawned on him in seconds._

 _This woman had been used and abandoned by someone important, someone who pretended to be noble._

 _Someone who had left her too rot._

 _"Leave my Mamma alone." The child spoke up, glaring at him through the folds of the woman's cloak. "The Mafiay family do not need the help of any man. My Mamma told me so."_

 _She spat the word man like it was poison._

 _"My name is Adriana." Adriana told him carefully, watching his every move. "This is Cienna."_

 _"Light and dark." Elijah mused, his eyes flickering between them. "How poetic."_

"They're evil. And, my life is still magically linked to Sophie Deveraux, which is not comforting." Hayley told Elijah, taking the bowl of cereal from him.

"Yes, I think it's time we took care of that little problem." He nodded.

"I am all for it." Rebekah stated as they walked into the kitchen. "As soon as they're unlinked, we get to leave this crap town. Who do we have to kill?"

"Probably no one." Elijah replied, smiling slightly at Hayley.

"Don't lie Elijah." Adriana snapped, carrying a can of petrol and a lighter as she followed Rebekah out of the door. "It's not very good manners."

"Alright, potentially everyone." Elijah sighed.

Adriana coughed at the cloud of dust that exploded in her face as she kicked the shed in, brushing away the ivy that had grown over the once perfect wooden shed.

Adriana Mafiay firmly believed that apples were death traps, but that didn't stop here from picking them from the apple trees that surrounded the plantation.

It was like therapy, something Adriana disliked to a certain extent, it was relaxing and let her think about what has happened to her over nine centuries.

So, grabbing a woven basket that was still in a semi-pristine condition, Adriana set out towards the orchard.

Adriana hummed an old Italian melody as she walked around the orchard, inspecting every apple she picked. Only stopping when she came to the end of the orchard.

Heading into the house, the first thing Adriana noticed was that Elijah and Klaus were gone.

"And they didn't even say goodbye." She huffed, tutting slightly. "How rude."

"Adriana, finally!" Rebekah called, Hayley groggily walking behind her. "We're stuck on babysitting duty. You were a mother, help us out here."

"Apple?" The pixie grinned, holding up the basket. "Can't really help you though, I was pregnant over nine centuries ago, just take some pain medication."

"Not working." Hayley answered, Adriana narrowing her eyes in suspicion as the girl took an apple. "I feel fine, which is weird. I'm sure it's Sophie related."

"Then, do me a favor, and don't die on my watch." Rebekah replied, she too watching Hayley carefully. "I'll never hear the end of it."

"You mean I won't hear the end of it." Adriana scoffed, sitting down on a nearby chair. "Nik can never hate you for long. Elijah, on the other hand, has hated me for about five hundred years? Give or take."

"You know, when I first met you, I thought you were a real bitch." Hayley stated, looking at Rebekah, unsure of how to talk too the tiny brunette.

"What changed your mind?" Rebekah smiled.

"Oh, I still think you're a bitch!" Hayley laughed. "I've just grown to like that about you."

"Aw, well, that's sweet of you to say." Rebekah said lightly, he face slowly turning serious. "Remember it when I'm gone."

"Gone?" Hayley asked, confused. "Where are you going?"

"I only came to town to make sure everything was okay with Elijah and this imp." Rebekah said, gesturing at Adriana's smirking form. "Thier fine, Adriana finds this whole thing too funny to get in the way and Elijah hasn't punished Klaus for daggering him, as usual, they'll be thick as thieves, and I'll be left to clean up the mess. It's time for me to fly the coop."

"Oh..." Hayley trailed off, taking a bit of the apple.

"What's wrong?" Rebekah frowned when Hayley just stared at the fruit for several seconds.

"I dunno, probably morning sickness." Hayley trailed off, shaking her head.

Adriana was infront of Hayley in seconds, a worried frown on her face as she placed her hand on the girls forehead, instantly bringing it back with a small hiss.

"You're burning up." Adriana muttered, her eyes drifting down to Hayley's stomach. "That's not good."

Hayely lay whimpering in her bed as Adriana hurriedly placed another ice pack on her womb.

Hayley could suffer all she liked, but she wasn't allowing an innocent baby to be harmed.

"Stop fussing, will you?" Rebekah snapped, pacing around the room. "Elijah will be here any minute."

"I feel like I've been microwaved." The wolf groaned, Adriana shooting her a hard look.

"If you weren't carrying a baby, you would be thrown into the microwave." The vampire said sharply. "Now shut up, you'll tire yourself out quicker."

"Just because you're carrying a baby doesn't mean you get to act like one." Rebekah said, sitting down in the nearby chair. "I'm sure my little niece is healing you up as we speak."

Elijah ran in with Sophie in that moment, Adriana's attention snapped away from Hayley to them both, narrowing her eyes at the traitor witch.

"What the hell is she doing here?"

"I'm trying to help." Sophie sighed.

"Oh, you'll help alright." Adriana growled, flashing her fangs at the witch. "Elijah, how nice of you. I was just starting to get a little peckish."

"She's not your snack Adriana." Elijah demanded, pulling Sophie a few steps away from his wife. "She truly is here to help."

"Help?" Rebekah asked, she too not believing the situation. "You're the reason we're in this bloody mess! Why aren't we unlinked with this witch already, Elijah?"

"Rebekah, let her do what she can."

Adriana scowled, speculating Sophie's every move as she stepped away from Hayley.

"I may know a way to slow the fever down." Sophie declared, like it was some magical breakthrough. "But I'm going to need some special herbs."

All of them turned to Rebekah.

"Fine." The blonde said in defeat, sending them all a patronising smile and stomping out the room. "Happy to play fetch the girl.

"Herbs, keeping her cool? What do you think I've been doing this whole time. If it wasn't for me, she would already be dead!" Adriana hissed, gesturing to the ice packs. "Honestly, I say we should just kill the witch now."

"Since when we're you a doctor." Sophie retorted, glaring at the woman.

"October the seventeenth, nineteen-ninety-eight." Adriana shrugged, her scowl washing down to a smirk. "I got bored."

"You know, I don't really see the point of giving wolfie a fever." Adriana pointed out, as they all stood by the poolside. Sophie frantically mixing the herbs together. "As the baby is technically one quarter vampire, wolfie would die of overheating before the baby would."

"Not really the time for your smart comments Adriana." Elijah snapped, shrugging off his jacket and rolling up his sleeves. "She's burning up. We need to do this now."

"Get her in the water!"

"It's always the time for my smart comments." Adriana huffed, rolling up the sleeves of her blouse and kicking of her shoes, jumping into the water with Elijah. Helping him hold Hayley still, taking the herbal mixture Sophie passed her.

"I don't see how a midnight swim is supposed to help." Rebekah stated with frustration.

"Her temperature is sky-high." Sophie said, stating the obvious. "The water, with the help of the herbs, should cool us down. Drink the remedy."

"Bottoms up, wolfie." Adriana cheered, shoving the contents down Hayley's throat with little care.

"Seriously Adriana?" Elijah asked with a hiss, adjusting Hayley in his arms. "That was not necessary."

"Shush Elijah." Adriana said, making a snapping motion with her fingers. "Let me relish in the moment."

"You're going to have to get her heart rate down." Sophie said to them both, interrupting whatever reply Elijah had opened his mouth to say.

"How do you suggest I do that?" Elijah asked, never leaving his staring contest with Adriana.

"Hold her." Sophie stated. "It's a natural human remedy to slow the heart rate and reduce blood pressure."

"That is the most stupid idea I have ever heard." Adriana said coldly, turning to Sophie.

"This is never gonna work." Rebekah said flatly.

"Thank you, Rebekah." Adriana shouted to her sister in law, keeping Hayley's wrists in the cold water as Elijah picked her up bridal style. "You're input was not necessary."

"Davina will break the link, we just need time." Elijah breathed as Hayley writhed in his arms.

"You told Davina to do what?" Adriana shrieked, her mind flipping through all the worse scenarios. "If one drop of blood leaves my daughter Elijah, I will bake you alive."

She said the last part quietly, so much that Hayley couldn't hear them as she clinger onto Elijah like a lifeline.

"I would do nothing to endanger our daughter, you know that." Elijah said to her calmly, easily distracted from a moaning Hayley.

"I can't breathe!" Hayley shouted, leaving no time for Adriana to comment on Elijahs slip up.

"Okay, long deep breaths, Hayley! Look at me. Long deep breaths." Elijah said to Hayleyy, trying to calm her down.

In reply to Elijahs words, Adriana pushed Hayley's head under water, holding her underwater for several seconds before letting her back up again.

"Adriana!" Elijah snapped over a screaming Hayley. "That was not necessary."

"At least she can breathe now." Adriana snapped back.

"I just felt it lift." Sophie called out to them, Hayley starting to calm down.

Elijah helped Hayley down, moving to stand next to his wife as soon as Hayley could touch the floor. Sophie took off her earring and scratched her palm, relief flooding on everyone's face as nothing appeared on Hayley's hand.

"Come on, Adriana." He sighed, helping Adriana out of the pool, both of them already collecting their things from the poolside. "Let's go."

"Elijah, as soon as your brother finds out that the link is broken, he'll kill Agnes." Sophie begged as Adriana hauled Hayley up from the pool. "I _know_ you don't owe me anything, but _please,_ don't let him kill her. She's our only access to the power we _need_ to survive. Promise me that you'll stop him."

Elijah only ignored her, dialling a number into his phone and raising it to his ear.

"It's me, where are you?" He asked, pausing for a beat. Adriana heared Klaus' muffled voice through the speaker, though she couldn't clearly work out what he was saying. "Don't hurt her. Adriana and I will be there shortly." He hanged up and turned to Sophie. "I'll make you one last promise. I won't let my brother kill Agnes."

They didn't stick around for Sophie's reply, Adriana quickly flashing to her room to get changed.

"You're not leaving without saying goodbye to me, are you?" Adriana called, stopping Rebekah in her tracks. "I thought I taught you better."

Rebekah launched herself into Adriana's arms, smiling at the shorter woman as she stepped away.

"Goodbye Adri." Rebekah breathed, truly going to miss her sister in law. "Don't let Elijah get on your nerves too much, okay?"

"I'll be fine, Bekah." Adriana laughed, tilting her head to the side. "Be careful, stay safe. If you ever need me, I'll be there. Screw Elijah, you're currently my favourite Mikaelson sibling."

Rebekah laughed with her, shaking her head lightly.

"Bye Beks." Adriana saluted, shoving the blonde towards the door. "Go! Before I change my mind!"

With a smile, Rebekah opened the door and headed towards her car.

With a grin, Adriana watched her go, her grin growing wider as no one came to stop her.

"Leave her." Elijah said. "I gave my word."

Klaus had the witch, Agnes in a head lock as Elijah walked into the church, stopping several feet infront of her.

"You tend to give your word at the most inopportune times, brother." Klaus seethed with frustration.

"I know right." Adriana groaned in annoyance, strutting down the walkway to stand next to her husband. "Now you feel my pain."

"We've been doing things your way all day." Klaus carried on, ignoring Adriana's comment. "Come on. Just one little snap and it's 'Toodle-loo, Agnes'. She deserves it!"

"Niklaus, don't make another move." Elijah warned. "You have asked for my forgiveness. I will grant you that forgiveness, but do not make me break my word."

With a glare, Klaus released Agnes after a few long seconds.

"My noble brother, how was that for personal growth, eh?" Klaus asked, opening his arms widely as he stepped away from the witch. "Still, it is just like you to spoil all of my fun."

"Oh, not exactly." Elijah said staring into Agnes' eyes.

"You know." Adriana spoke up stepping forward slightly. "We were given this church as a wedding present from the priest. Lovely guy. It's such a shame it's going to take forever to get the blood off the seats."

"What are you talking about?" Agnes stuttered, still weak from Klaus' chokehold.

Adriana smirked coldly as a man flew by them, her husband quickly dispatching of the other men that had helped the witch.

"I'm talking about that." She whispered, stepping back from the witch. Allowing Elijah's hand to wrap around Agnes' throat.

"Now, I swore you would not die by my brother's hand. I said nothing of my own. Nobody hurts my family and lives." There was a cold, dark hiss to Elijahs tone as he quickly snapped Agnes' neck and turned to leave. "No one."

"Does this mean we can kill everyone in Mystic Falls now?" Adriana asked Elijah as he dragged them both away.

"No, Adriana."

"Well, it was worth the shot."


	5. A Loveless Marriage

**A Loveless Marriage**

* * *

 **In which we have an old friend pay a visit**

* * *

Hayley was missing.

Adriana didn't know why she was surprised.

"Marcel has her." Klaus swore as they walked toward the Abbatoir. "He suspects something, I don't know how, I don't know when, but he suspects something."

"Or, he suspects nothing at all, and you're just being your paranoid self." Adriana drawled out, a bored expression cemented onto her face. "Highly more likely."

"Hayley is probably fine, Niklaus." Elijah tried to console, as the slipped into the noisy crowd, nearing the centre off the building. "There is nothing to worry about."

"The most rational explanation is that she has run away." Adriana explained, watching the fight before them carefully. "I would if I were her."

"The problem with your theory Adriana, is that no one is like you." Elijah said, he too watching the fight.

"I'm unique." Adriana smiled brightly, deflecting Elijah's underhand insult. "Why, thank you sweetheart."

"You're welcome, dear." Elijah replied sarcastically, a glaring match igniting between the two.

"Will both of you stop acting like children." Klaus hissed at them. "You can sort out your maternal issues and sexual tension after we find Hayley."

"That's rich coming from you." Adriana muttered.

"Damn, girl!" Marcel shouted out, once one of the girls had broken the others neck. "Not bad."

"Good evening!" Niklaus called out, the three of them stepping into the arena, Klaus snapping the winners neck as the crowd fell silent. "I'd like a word."

"What do you think you're doing?" Marcel asked from the balcony.

"It appears that we've interrupted a collection of filthy amateurs." Elijah stated, looking up to the balcony. "We've come here for the girl. Give her to us, or we kill everyone here, starting with you."

"Be nice to Marcel, Elijah." Adriana said, clicking her tongue slightly. "Though, Marcel honey, it is in your best intrest just to give us the girl back."

"You three have got a lot of nerve, coming into _my_ home and making demands." Marcel said, stressing the part that said it was his home.

 _"Your_ home, is it?" Klaus smiled fakely.

"The girl." Elijah stressed, starting to get angry. "I will not ask again."

"And he can say that, because he wants to sleep with her." Adriana grinned, Elijah's eyes turning to her with a sneer.

"Does your annoyance have any boundaries?" He shot back, the two falling into another staring match.

"You married me." She snapped, hissing at him slightly.

"Horrible decision on my behalf." Elijah growled at her, Klaus rolling his eyes at them from where he stood. "Worst I've ever made actually."

"Then stop renewing our contract." Adriana stated, waving her hands to emphasise her point.

"I do what I like."

"Now who sounds like a four year old?"

"Be quiet Adriana."

"You be quiet!"

"Will both of you shut up." Klaus shouted at them both, the tension in the building starting to climb rapidly.

"I assume you're talking about Hayley?" Marcel asked, steering the conversation back on course. "Yay high, dark hair, bitchy attitude? Who is she, anyway?"

"She's an old friend." Klaus lied. "You know how sentimental I am about old friends."

"Well, I ain't got her." Marcel denied, shrugging slightly. "And before you start whining, I did pay her a little visit earlier tonight. I was feeling nostalgic, so I took a trip out to the plantation where I used to be a slave. And, imagine my surprise when I realized that the Original family of vampires had taken up residence. Your girl, Hayley, answered the door, we exchanged hellos, that was it. You don't believe me? Look around. Hell, I'll even help you find her. But the question that I'd ask is: if Hayley isn't here, then where is she?"

Klaus, Elijah and Adriana all sat in the courtyard. Adriana picking at her nails in boredom as Klaus and Elijah carefully watched every one around them.

"Not the most attractive community, are they?" Elijah commented.

"You do realise they can hear you?" Klaus laughed slightly.

"You do realize I don't care?" Elijah scoffed, Adriana only looking up from her hands when Marcel appeared, followed by a witch and several vampires.

"You know, Elijah, I liked you better in that box." Marcel said, Adriana forcing back a laugh.

"We all did honey." She smiled, ignoring the cold look Elijah shot her.

"Adriana Mafiay, or is it Mikaelson?" Marcel chuckled, turning to face the tiny woman. "The only girl that could make the devil run to the hills. The mother of nightmares, the wife of death. What is it like being in a marriage with no love?" Adriana's expression slowly turned stone cold, Elijah growling at Marcel in warning.

"But Klaus, my sire, you I owe the world, and I always show respect to my elders." Marcel continued. "If your special lady friend is missing, you could benefit from the help of a witch. And, since I control all the witches in this town, I'll grant you one little locator spell. Sabine's the best guide in the Quarter. Need to find someone? I guarantee, she's your girl."

"Where are you going?" Klaus asked, when Marcel turned to leave.

"I hate to cut this short, but the sun's coming up soon." Marcel explained, glancing back at them. "My nightwalkers need to get inside, and I have got a city to run. I leave you to track down your lost sheep."

"Can you find her?" Elijah said, looking at Sabine.

"I can try." Sabine nodded.

"Elijah." Adriana whined out, all four of them crowded around a small table, looking down at the map with Klaus' blood on it. "Little warrior. Pay attention to me."

"What is it Adriana?" Elijah spoke sharply, never taking his eyes off the witch.

"I'm bored." Adriana replied grumpily, a small pout forming on her face. "Can we go home now?"

"We've only been here for five minutes." Elijah stated, turning to face her.

"I know, and I'm bored of this place." Adriana sneered, looking around her. "I want to go home."

"She's in the back country." Sabine suddenly said, the blood having stopped moving. "Way up past Houma, deep in the Bayou."

"I don't suppose you could be more precise?" Elijah implored, looking down at the map carefully.

"What's the matter, Elijah? You're worried a bit of splashing about in the bog might ruin your expensive shoes?" Klaus joked, sharing a small smirk with Adriana.

"As a matter of fact, after my recent confinement, I could use a decent stroll through the countryside." Elijah retaliated, glancing at his brother.

"Hello!" Adriana spoke up, her voice taking on a high pitch as she pointed down at her own six inch heels. "What about my shoes? I am not trekking through a swamp in heels. To hell with the wolf, I'm not going."

"Surely you own something practical, Adriana."

"No, I truly don't." Adriana denied, glaring up her husband. "I'm only five foot, Elijah. How can I be threatening when I'm only five foot?"

"You're still coming." Elijah deadpanned, giving his wife a flat look. "If you think I'm stupid enough to leave you alone in this city, then you've got another thing coming."

"There are stories of exiled werewolves, encampments." Sabine said, interrupting another one of their fights. "If Hayley went out that far, chances are she went to find them."

"Clearly, she hopes to make the acquaintance of more like herself." Klaus scoffed, annoyance flickering on his face. "I suppose our company wasn't good enough for her."

"Our company isn't good for anyone." Adriana pointed out, following Elijah out of the door as the all headed towards the bayou.

All three of them stepped out of the car, Elijah quickly setting off into the bayou, Klaus following behind him, Adriana quickly walking behind them both, flinching slightly when her black heels touched the ground.

"You seem quite determined to find the little wolf." Klaus finally commented, he and Elijah standing slightly infront of her..

"If I'm moving too fast for you, Niklaus, you're welcome to wait in the car." Elijah snapped. "Do be certain to leave the windows down."

"Ah, so I've touched a nerve?" Klaus chortled, Adriana scoffing quietly. "You've begun to admire this girl. Perhaps that's why you've been barking orders since your return, hoping to impress Hayley by assuming the role of family patriarch. Perhaps you should start by treating your own wife better."

Elijah stopped dead in his tracks, and Adriana froze with her foot millimetres off the floor. Klaus looking between them both with a daring smirk.

"If you're going to insist on treating Hayley like a walking incubator, then that's your mistake." Elijah said, dodging the question about his marriage.

Klaus sniffed the air, obviously coming upon a scent that intrigued him, as he started walking away from them.

"Have you found her scent?" Elijah questioned, Adriana stopping next to him.

"No, but I found someone else's." Klaus groaned, stopping infront of a SUV. "This vehicle reeks of someone I thought I was rid of, Tyler Lockwood.

"Who?" Adriana asked, crinkling her nose in confusion before her face dawned in realisation. "Aw, Scooby-Doo has come to visit us! Can we kill him?"

"And why would your little hybrid sidekick from Mystic Falls have any interest in Hayley?" Elijah speculated, watching the vehicle carefully.

"He wants revenge because I went after his girl." Klaus explained, opening the car and looking inside.

"Why do I suspect this is the least of your offenses?" Elijah sighed.

"Back when I had the means to sire hybrids, he was my first." Klaus started. "Although, I didn't give him much choice in the matter."

"Aw, little wolfie thinks he's special." Adriana cooed, scanning the trees around them. "How pathetic."

"He was loyal in the beginning, but he grew insubordinate, turned my other hybrids against me." Klaus continued, pulling a blanket out of the car and sniffing at it. "I couldn't have that, so I massacred the lot of them. Tyler ran like a coward before I could finish him off."

"Anything else that you would like to share?" Elijah said, sighing again in frustration.

"Well, there was this business with his mum." Klaus trailed off.

"You killed his mother. Wonderful."

"He needed to be taught a lesson." Klaus stressed, like a rebellious child being told off.

"And what lesson will you be taught, Niklaus, if he retaliates by harming Hayley?" Elijah shot back, Adriana rolling her eyes in disgust.

"So you do care about her." Klaus scoffed, advancing on his older brother. "Well, go on, then. Have at it, brother. Save her. Claim what spoils you can. I've sampled what she has to offer and let me tell you, she is exquisite-"

"Niklaus, so help me." Elijah said, cutting him off.

"I do not need to hear about your previous sex life with my husbands new mistress." Adriana sneered, shuddering in disgust.

"Enough." Klaus snapped. "I'll kill Tyler Lockwood myself."

Klaus sped off, leaving Elijah and Adriana standing alone.

"Does this mean that we can go?"

"No. We are going to find Hayley."

"I hate you." Adriana snarled, pouting down at her shoes and setting off into the forest. "I say we just leave her here, Niklaus will find her eventually."

"Not going to happen." Elijah retorted, setting off into the woods.

"You know what, I'm not putting myself through this." Adriana suddenly exclaimed, kicking off her heels and sending barefoot on the forest floor.

"You know, I sometimes forget how short you actually are." Elijah smiled as Adriana picked up her heels.

"Shut up." Adriana snapped, the two of them speeding into the forest.

Hayley was running when the two appeared infront off her.

Adriana merely just raised an eyebrow at the sight of the dagger, posed to attack them.

"Forgive me." Elijah laughed lightly. "I thought you were in danger. It appears I was mistaken."

Hayley quickly dived into Elijahs arms, not even acknowledging that Adriana was there.

The woman coughed politely, reminding the two that she was still there.

"You're really short." Hayley choked out, her eyes falling on the pixie.

"Excuse me." Adriana deadpanned, a offended look flickering across her face. "I'm over nine hundred years old, I'm a doctor, and I also have a degree in law. But the first thing people always note about me is that I'm short, seriously?"

"You'll have to ignore Adriana." Elijah whispered to her. "She's very sensitive about the subject. Come on, I'll take you home."

"Elijah, there's something you need to know about the baby." Hayley said gently, stopping Elijah when he turned to leave.

"Ha!" Adriana grinned, slipping into her heels and turning to Elijah. "You owe me a new pair of shoes, I told you that baby wasn't Klaus'."

"Wait." Hayley stated, looking the between them with a confused expression. "You two made a bet?"

"Just a friendly wager." Elijah shrugged, casting Adriana a cold look. "I had full faith in you, yet Adriana was spectacle."

"Seriously, though?" Adriana chided. "A full blown hybrid pregnancy, after a one night stand. Honestly honey, you might want to brush up on your acting skills."

"I am pregnant with Klaus' baby." Hayley said, interrupting Adrianas rant. "This is different."

"Well." Adriana blinked. "Why didn't you just say that to begin with.

"Klaus must have known, that's the only explanation." Hayley said once she had finished her story, the wolf sitting against the tree, as Elijah paced and Adriana examined Hayley's story. "He could care less about the baby. He just wants her to be born so he can use her to make more sired hybrids."

"You really shouldn't fault Klaus for everything, honey." Adriana pointed out, defending her brother in law. "He's done a lot of bad things, that I'll admit, but that doesn't mean you can blame him for everything."

"Although, the way that Dwayne was acting, it was more like he was sired to me." Hayley mulled over, not commenting on Adriana's speech.

"I should take you home." Elijah finally said, exchanging a look with Adriana.

"Are you serious? Home to what?" Hayley scoffed.

"Look, regardless of my brother's intentions, mine remain the same." Elijah tried to console. "I said that I would protect you, even, if need be, from Klaus himself."

"I can take care of myself. I've done it for a long time." Hayley snapped, standing up and walking away, Elijah and Adriana following her after a short pause.

Adriana didn't like this.

She knew Klaus, more than she cared to admit, but she knew he wasn't going to stoop so low that he used a child as a weapon.

That would be turning himself into Mikael, and Klaus' greatest fear was being his father.

"There you are." He greeted them when they arrived at the porch of the cabin, kicking the body over to them. "I see you've found our wandering stray. Perhaps you could shed some light on the situation. This appears to be a hybrid."

"His name was Dwayne." Hayley said flatly.

"Well, whoever it was, I didn't sire him. Any idea how that's possible?"

"I told you." Adriana huffed, turning to Elijah.

"As if you didn't know." Hayley shoutings, stomping forward only to be held back by Elijah. The Original stepping infront of Hayley to protect her.

"Ah, well, aren't you two fast friends? Isn't it adorable, Adriana." Adriana just turned her face away from the scene, not wanting to be involved in the situation. "Oh, come on, then. What kind of horrible accusation have you conspired to levy against me?"

"Tyler Lockwood brought Hayley here to test a theory." Elijah explained. "That the blood of her child could be used to sire hybrids. He claims that you knew that. Furthermore, that you intended to use this knowledge to build an army."

"And, of course, you assume it's true." Klaus said, hut and anger lacing his voice. "I mean, why else would I show interest in my own flesh and blood? A heartbroken little crybaby points his finger at me, and my own brother falls in line, eager to believe it! How quickly you believe the worst, especially when it comes from her."

"Please stop fighting." Adriana whispered, staring at the ground. "You're not helping anybody."

"Oh, spare me your indignation. When have you ever demonstrated any kind of concern towards Hayley or her child, beyond your own selfish pursuits? And what was it you once said to me?" Elijahs voice dropped low with mockery. "Every king needs an heir!"

"My big brother." Klaus said bitterly. "So, you doubt my intentions? Well, I can't say I'm surprised, standing next to the noble Elijah, how can I be anything but the lesser brother? A liar, a manipulator, a bastard."

Adriana flinched, quickly realising the danger of th situation.

"Hayley, honey." She spoke up, looking at the wolf. "Why don't we go wait in the car?"

"She's not going anywhere." Klaus commanded, making Hayely freeze in her tracks, Klaus quickly turned back to his brother. "That's all I am to you, isn't it? And Rebekah. And, judging by the way Hayley hangs on your every word, it's clear she feels the same way! No doubt my child will as well."

"Brother, if-" Elijah started gently.

"You've said all that needs to be said, brother." Klaus interrupted, stepping away from them. "I'll play the role I've been given."

Klaus turned around, turning to leave them, only at the last minute turning around and lunging at Elijah.

It's Elijah that's bitten, but it's Adriana that screams in pain.

It's only when Klaus rips himself away from his brother does he realise his mistake.

"Adri." Klaus said softly, seeing the woman fall to her knees, a large bite mark on her neck. "Adri!"

But Elijah, the minute he saw his wife crumble to the floor, Elijah turned venomous.

Elijah flashed forward, catching Adriana just before she hit the ground. He cradled her close to his chest, whispering soft things as she started to panic, desperately trying to calm her down.

"Get out of my sight." Elijah growled at his brother darkly when Klaus tried to take a step forward.

"I've done you a favour." Klaus said, though hurt shone through his voice. "You and Hayley can now live happily ever after, no disruptions whatsoever."

Adriana had started to cry, the bite not even beginning heal up.

"If she dies." Elijah started, his voice had taken a turn, now low with dark malice, a voice that promised death. "If she dies, Niklaus, then I don't care how long it takes. If she dies, I will burn every city and every person you hold close to your heart, until I kill you. I don't care if you're immortal, I don't care how long it will take, but I will kill you so you'll feel the exact same thing Adriana will if she dies, excruciating pain."

It wasn't a threat, it was a promise.

Adrianas sobbing had increased, inconclusive things whispered to the wind as she clung to Elijahs shirt.

Klaus quickly left, and Hayley was too shocked to move as she watched the two, Elijah gently rocking Adriana back and forth.

"I don't want to die. Please, I don't want to die." Adriana cried, clinging on to her husband. "I don't want to die."

Elijah let himself cry, several tears slipping down his cheeks, gently placing a kiss on Adriana's forehead.

"You're going to be okay." He finally choked out, resting his forehead against hers. "You're going to be okay. I promise."


	6. Sugar And Spice

**AN: A lot of you didn't like the ending to the last chapter, who remembered the bracelet? I did! Oh and, *screams through megaphone* THIS IS NOT THE END! I WOULD LIKE TO REPEAT THAT THIS IS NOT THE END. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Sugar And Spice**

* * *

 **In which a gilded cage is still a cage**

* * *

"Is she going to be okay?"

"I don't know." Elijah choked out, gently laying Adriana on the bed.

Adriana just lay there frozen, staring at the ceiling blankly, muttering inaudible prayers under her breath.

Hayley nodded, leaving the bedroom to search the cabin.

"Little warrior?" Adriana's voice was rough from crying, tears threatening to spill as she turned to face him. "Are you going to leave me here? Alone?"

Elijah sat on the edge of her bed, carefully taking her tiny hand in his large one, trying to give her some sort of comfort as the fever slowly set in.

"No." He said simply, pressing his lips against her hand. "I'm not going anywhere, Adriana. I promise."

"Oh, little warrior." She said shakily, pressing a trembling hand on his face. "How much you have grown."

Elijah just smiled brokenly, lying down next to her and holding her hand as the fever slowly began for both of them.

 _"What are you doing, my Lord?" Adriana asked him, examining the bow in his hands like it was a rabid animal._

 _"It's called archery, Adriana." Elijah laughed lightly, putting the bow down and turning to her. "It's mainly used for hunting, though some use it as a means of battle."_

 _"I know what it is." Adriana scoffed in defence, turning to him with curiosity shining in her eyes. "I was merely wondering what you of all people would be doing such a sport. You hate hunting, you told me yourself."_

 _"Well, I need something to protect my gypsy if a brave knight thought to take her away." Elijah joked, both of them laughing lightly. "We can't have that happening, can we?"_

 _"No, we can't." Adriana giggled, looking up at him through her lashes. "My own personal little warrior."_

 _"Little?" Elijah scoffed, grinning down at her. "I am anything but little, gypsy girl."_

 _"Gypsies don't want big knights on horses made of snow." Adriana explained, standing on her tip toes to gain at least some height on him. "They want the village boys who aren't afraid to defend them, not yet warriors on white horses, you're my own personal little warrior."_

 _"My own gypsy girl to protect, I hope you don't cause to much trouble." He grinned cheekily, smirking when Adriana pushed him away from her, rolling her eyes as she did._

 _"Signing up so easily?" Adriana asked, stepping away from him with a smile. "I could be a vixen for all you know."_

 _"I'm sure I can handle it."_

 _"Oh, really now?" Adriana hummed, skirting around him and grabbing the bow without him knowing. "Are you sure? Last chance to back out."_

 _"Certain." Elijah stated, grabbing the bow she hid behind her back and holding it up so she could see it. "Look at that, already protecting you from stupid decisions."_

 _Adriana just rolled her eyes, walking past him with a soft laugh._

 _"Come along then, little warrior." She called over her shoulder. "Who knows when that knight will come around and snatch me away."_

Adriana stepped out of her room, holding onto the door for support.

Her breath came out in short chokes, her feet trembling violently as she took another staggering step forward.

She refused to be knocked down without a fight, Adriana didn't want to die under Elijahs patronising gaze, she wanted to die out there, out where she could be free for a short space of time.

Freedom, something Adriana Mafiay had never truly felt.

She wanted to see her daughter, for one last time, she didn't want to be a fleeting memory.

She wanted to be her mother, for just one last time.

"Adriana?" Hayley's surprised voice snapped her out of a daze. "Adriana, you should be in bed."

Hayley quickly set the two glasses down, taking a cautious step towards her, as if walking towards a frightened horse.

"Don't touch me." Adriana screeched, scrambling away from the wolf. _"What have you done, Elijah?"_

"Adriana?" Hayley asked again, watching the broken down woman as she stared at her, pure terror on her face.

But Adriana didn't see Hayley, or the cabin anymore. She saw a bomb site, a deadly silence all around her, bodies strewn everywhere, Elijahs bloodied face staring at her emptily.

 _"What have you done?" Adriana choked out, her eyes unable to tear away from the millions of bodies scattered around them. "What have you done, Elijah?"_

 _"What?" Elijah scoffed, his uniform soaked with blood. "I killed them, I stopped them from killing eachother."_

 _"You went on a rampage." Adriana stated, turning on her heel to face him. "You've killed millions of people, Elijah! Five entire squadrons don't just disappear over night."_

 _"They were delicious though." Elijah hummed, licking his lips mockingly. "Yum."_

 _Adriana breathed heavily, kneeling infront of a young teenage boy that had gotten his throat ripped out by her husband. Clear blue eyes were wide open and lifeless._

 _"What is the point of this?" Adriana breathed out, her eyes filling with tears. "Is your goal in this to be like your father, or your brother?"_

 _"I am nothing like them." Elijah growled, walking towards her like a predator would their prey._

 _"You could have fooled me." She hissed, gracefully standing up and meeting him half way. "Even I wouldn't have done this Elijah. This is a whole new level of malice, you did this out of spite, no logical reason for it whatsoever."_

Elijah quickly ran into the kitchen, hearing Hayley's urgent shouts for help and Adriana's sobbing.

"Adriana, please." Elijah pleaded, holding Adriana's face in his hands as she sobbed. "Adriana, you have to snap out of this. Listen to me gypsy girl, we're going to get through this together, okay?"

 _"Stay away from me." Adriana screeched, ripping herself away from Elijahs grip._

 _"Come on, Adriana." Elijah whined, rolling his eyes at Adriana's terror. "It's not that bad."_

 _"There was children in those squadrons." Adriana choked out, her mouth open in shock. "You've killed children, Elijah! Little boys that had a family, that had a life!"_

"Adriana snap out of it! It's not real!" Elijah begged, searching Adriana's glassy eyes. "Listen to me, just follow the sound of my voice."

 _"So you'd much rather I fed off you to satisfy my thirst." Elijah said lowly, pushing her head to the side so her neck was visible. "Don't mind if I do."_

Adriana screamed loudly before her eyes finally focused again, and the first thing she saw was a very worried Elijah. Purely out of instinct, Adriana launched herself at him, pulling him into a tight hug and burying her face into his neck.a

Loud sobs filled the room as Adriana clung to Elijah, Elijah holding her to him, rocking them back and forth.

"You're okay, Adriana." Elijah said gently, trying to calm her down. "It's all over now."

"Don't you ever do that to me again." Adriana sobbed into his shirt. "Promise me."

"I promise."

They stayed in that position for several more minutes, Hayley not daring to move from where she stood, Adriana's sobs turning into soft hiccups. With a heavy breath, she stepped away from Elijah, giving him a small nod to show that she was okay.

"Do we look like a circus to you?" Adriana snapped at Hayley, locking eyes with the woman that dared to openly stare at them. "Honestly, you wolves have no-"

She cut herself off, smelling the sweet scent of rich, warm, flowing blood.

Elijahs familiar scent had masked it before, but Adriana was starving.

Two points to the person who guesses who the nearest food source was.

"Oh, what do you know?" She growled, black veins pulsing briefly under her eyes. "You do have a use after all."

Adriana was quick, but Elijah was quicker. He had his arms wrapped around her before she even had the chance to lunge.

"Get out of here." He instructed Hayley, already dragging a screeching Adriana back into their shared bedroom.

"I'm hungry." Adriana shouted at the top of her lungs. "Starving! Come on, Elijah just a little bite."

"No, Adriana." Elijah said firmly, throwing her into the room and locking the door behind him. "She's with child. Remember? Do you want to hurt an innocent child?"

Adriana's fang filled jaw snapped shut, black veins quickly receding at the mention of a child.

"You must be in pain." She decided to mock him instead. "Bet it's strangling you from the inside out, just being around her. Pathetic."

"There's no need to be bitter, Adriana." Elijah muttered, dodging her backhanded insult, sitting on the bed and watching her.

"I'm going to die in about two hours." Adriana said flatly, leaning against the wall for support. "I can be whatever I want."

She gently placed a cool hand on her burning head, reluctantly sitting on the edge of the bed.

"You're not going to die, Adriana." He sighed, not truly knowing who he was convincing, him or her.

Adriana didn't answer, just fell back on the bed and turned away from him.

 _"I hate you!"_

 _She screams after him as he leaves, leaving her standing there with the dead body of her newest lover._

 _She stares at his back as he walks away, and whispers the one thing she knew would grab his attention._

 _"I want a divorce."_

 _He stills completely, but still doesn't turn around to face her. Tears are burning in her eyes, and her hands are covered in blood, but she doesn't falter._

 _She's done._

 _"Not happening." Elijah said flatly, slowly turning on his heel to meet her square on. "Call this revenge Adriana, and here I thought we were getting along. Yet, here we are, his blood is on your hands."_

 _November, 1536, the first time Adriana requested a divorce._

 _Divorce had become legal in England in 1521, but this had been the first time either of them had mentioned it._

 _"I am done with you." Adriana spat at him. "I am done with this family, and most of all, I am done with our marriage. Well done, Elijah, you've achieved the impossible. You've ripped my heart in two."_

 _"Still not happening." Elijah stated, crossing his arms and watching her carefully._

 _She let out a small blow of air, raising her head high as he came closer to her._

 _"Why not?" She challenged him, tilting her head to the side in a bird like manner. "No more looking after me, you could chase after that Bulgarian harlot whenever you wanted to. Pluto, even find a new trollop with no complaint from me. How nice would that be?"_

 _"While your incessant whining is starting to annoy me." Elijah replied, stopping so he was centimeteres away from her. "You wouldn't survive out there Adriana, you've been coddled for four entire centuries. You wouldn't last a day."_

 _She opens and closes her mouth like a fish out of water._

 _"I hope you rot in hell." She spat at him, pushing him away from her with a hiss._

 _"I'll see you there." He growled back._

It doesn't take long for Hayley to approach her, she does it carefully, while Elijah rests.

All the mistresses come to her, eventually.

"Who are you?"

She asks the question they all ask, and even through her delusion and fever, she manages to smirk at her.

She's sitting on the kitchen tiles when Hayley approaches her, sipping at a steamed glass of blood she'd managed to collect and ration from a lost hiker that had appeared at their door.

All mistresses ask the same question, and she always has the same reply waiting for them.

"I'm Adriana Mafiay." She smirked at Hayley, an insane fire raging in her eyes. "The question you really want to ask is, what are you?"

Some are too simple minded to persist, but most, like Hayley, press even more.

"What are you?" Hayley echoes, sitting across from her, making sure to keep her distance.

"Sugar and spice and all things nice, that's what little girls are made of." Adriana hummed, tapping her chipped, red nails on the mug. "Crushed dreams and torn out hearts, that's what the Mafiay are made of."

She says the rhyme like it holds the answer to everything, in a way it does.

"What do you mean?" Hayley asks her, leaning forward slightly.

Her smirk slowly becomes wider, her condensing stare made Hayley lean back slightly.

"You really need to start paying attention to people hands." Adriana commented flippantly, waving her left hand in the air, showcasing the golden bang on her ring finger. "It may help you a lot."

Elijahs deep moan cut off whatever Hayley was going to say.

"Hayley, please." Elijah begged when the wolf rushed to his bedside, Adriana following behind her and stopping by the door. "This fever. My mind is flooded with these torturous memories. You have to leave."

"Think how I feel." Adriana snapped harshly, gripping the wall for support as she collapsed into a chair. "At least you're going to live."

"What is your deal? You don't like people taking care of you? " Hayley asked him, placing a cool flannel on his head.

"There are consequences for those that care. I will not have you pay that price." Elijah said, gesturing a weak hand to Adriana. "Besides, it's not me that needs your help.

"She refuses to let me anywhere near her." Hayley replied, glancing at the curled up woman. "And speaks in riddles any time I'm near her. Something about not wanting to be held in a cage."

Elijah's face slowly dawned in realisation, and Adriana's eyes refused to meet his gaze.

"What about our visitor?" Elijah decided to ask. "What does she want?"

"I'm guessing she's the one that left the mystery Bible on the doorstep last night." Hayley said, thankful for the change in subject. "Would be nice if she'd stick around long enough to tell me why."

"Hayley, you came here to gather an information about your family, not to play nursemaid to a vampire with a temperature." He stated. "Please, find her. Learn what you can."

"No, I'm staying."

"Of course you are." Adriana muttered under her breath, her voice coming out dry and raspy. "They all do, don't they Elijah?"

Elijah stared at his wife for several long seconds, before turning to Hayley.

"Can you give us a minute, please?" Elijah told her quietly, Hayley glancing between them, then reluctantly leaving. "You're not in a cage, Adriana."

"A gilded cage is still a cage." Adriana quoted, staring out of the window.

"Adriana Angelo Mafiay-Mikaelson, look at me." Elijah commanded softly, dragging himself out of his sick bed to kneel infront of her.

She slowly turned to face him, her eyes glazed over with tears.

"Go." Elijah whispered to her. "Go, then maybe you won't die hating me."

"What?" Adriana choked out, not believing what she was hearing.

"I'll miss you." Elijah continued, Adriana's mouth falling open in amazement. "But I can't keep you here, I'm so sorry, Adriana. Goodbye."

Her small hand clumsily found his large one, holding it tightly.

"You're actually doing this." Adriana whispered, crystal tears falling from her cheeks.

"Goodbye, gypsy girl." Elijah said through his own tears, squeezing her hand lightly. "I'm sorry, for lying, for cheating, and every single mistake I've ever made. I'm sorry, but, what I'm not sorry for, is marrying you."

All it took was one small movement, and his lips where on hers. It lasted only a second, before he pulled away, watching her carefully.

"You don't mean that." Adriana denied, not daring to move a muscle. "I didn't marry you because you were a soppy coward, little warrior.

"Truthfully, no I don't." Elijah laughed brokenly. "I don't regret one second of ever knowing you, Adriana Mafiay."

"Don't you dare forget me." Adriana ordered, resting her other hand on his cheek. "Promise me."

"Never." Elijah swore, letting out a shaking breath. "I love you Adriana, I may have a twisted way in showing it, but I do."

"You are a Mikaelson." She smiled dryly, dropping her hand from his face. "I love you too, Elijah."

She stepped backwards, still holding his hand.

"Goodbye, little warrior." Adriana breathed out, gently releasing his hand and leaving in the house.

She did it with the last of her strength, vampire speeding miles away so she didn't have to face the wolf on her way out.

She collapsed in the middle of the forest, falling onto her knees and staring up at the clear blue sky,

"So, this is what freedom feels like."

Across the other end of New Orleans, Davina felt her paint brush slip from her fingers. The ringing in her head increasing as a millions of peircing shrieks sounded all ot once.

One sentence was repeated again, and again.

 _ **Cienna is Davina. Cienna is Davina. Cienna is Davina. Cienna is Davina. The daughter of the traitor must remember.**_

They almost seemed to be singing it. Chanting it at the top of their voices.

 _ **On this day the traitor will die. On this day the traitor will die. The daughter of the traitor must be allowed to remember.**_

Davina's scream sent one of Marcels men running in, only to find her on the floor, her easel knocked to the ground.

"What are you talking about?" Davina said breathlessly, holding her head in her hands. "Who is the traitor?"

 ** _On this day Adriana Angelo Mafiay takes her last breath._ The witches cackles. _The woman who lived twice dies today._**

"Davina?" The vampire asked, kneeling infront of the young girl. "Do you need me to call Marcel?"

Thousands of memories flashed infront of Davinas eyes.

 _"We are the Mafiay." The woman with brown eyes said to her sternly, locking her gaze. "We do not need a man to survive. We never did, and we never will."_

She could see a man who looked remarkably like Elijah through the dark folds off a cloak.

 _"Leave my mama alone." She screamed at him, a tan hand pushing her back. "The Mafiay do not need the help of any man."_

She saw the fields, the burning sun, a smiling face, the burning hurt she felt when she couldn't protect her mother from the stones.

 _"Mama?"_

 _"Yes sweetheart?"_

 _"I love you."_

 _"I love you too sweetheart."_

"No." Davina cried, launching herself at the vampire when he tried to reach for his phone. "I need you to drive me to the bayou. Now."

Unknowingly at the edge of the bayou, Adriana Mafiay stared at the sky.

"You happy now." She rasped to the, most likely, cackling witches. "Well done, you've bested me. Would you like a medal? But, please, don't let me die with my own daughter not knowing who I am. That's my last wish, for my daughter to know who I am."

The forest around her wavered, as the illusions took over.

 _"Mama!" Cienna screamed happily, running towards Adriana. "Mama! Mama! Look what I can do!"_

 _"What is it baby?" Adriana hummed happily, kneeling infront of her daughter._

 _Ciennas little face screwed up, concentrating, whispering small words under her breath._

 _"Sweetheart." Adriana smiled, laughing lightly. "Look."_

 _Cienna's green eyes snapped open, looking at all the hovering Autumn leaves around them._

 _"Does this make me a freak?" Cienna whispered to her mother, once the leaves all dropped back down. "Is this why Papa left us?"_

 _"No, honey." Adriana soothed, pulling her daughter closer to us. "Demetri, your Papa, left us because he didn't want a child."_

 _"Did you not want me either?" Cienna asked, her bottom lip quivering slightly. "Do you hate me?"_

 _"I could never hate you." Adriana breathed, holding Ciennas face in her hands. "You're my baby, the whole world could hate you, yet I would stand right next to you."_

 _"Why did Papa hate me?" Cienna muttered, her eyes down cast. "I know that you always say that we don't need him, but I just want to know."_

Adriana fell forward, landing on her hands as she coughed up clotted blood.

 _"Your Papa left us because he was a coward." Adriana stated, her voice turning several shades colder. "He was a boy masquerading around as a man, but when he finally faced his sins, he ran away."_

Davina screamed for the car to stop, swiftly opening the door and running into the woods, the vampire cursing before following after her, already on the phone with Marcel.

 _"What does that make us?"_

Adriana slumped onto her back, crimson blood coating her lips as sweat dripped down her face.

 _"It makes us survivors." Adriana told her daughter. "It makes us the Mafiay. The world could turn its back on us, and banish us to hell, yet we would walk there with a smile on our face."_

"Adriana!" Davina shouted, kneeling infront of the woman. "Come on, you can't be dead! Come on, wake up, please."

"Come on." She begged under her breath. "Wake up Mama, please, I just got you back. You promised me you wouldn't leave."

 _"What would happen if you died, Mama?" Davina had asked her one day, while she was cleaning the kitchens. "Where would I go?"_

 _Adriana looked up from her sweeping, her gentle humming stopping aruptedly._

 _"Oh, but Cienna." She had laughed. "It would take the grand army of the King to send me to my casket."_


	7. The Mafiay Women

**AN: Hi! Sorry I've been away for so long. Drama happens, like it does in this chapter actually. Anyway, apologies for the cliffhanger, I couldn't help myself. Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **The Mafiay Women**

* * *

 **In which Davina lets a few things slip**

* * *

"Where did you find her?" Marcel asked Davina, as the coffin containing Adriana's was lowered onto the floor of the attic.

"On the floor of the forest." Davina answered through her tears, her wide green eyes never leaving the black polished coffin. "She was alone. My own mother died alone."

"She had you." Marcel tried to soothe, wrapping his hand around Davinas forearm and tugging her out of the room. "Come on, I think you need some space."

"No. I'm not going anywhere." Davina stated, tugging her arm away from him. "What was she like? My mother."

Marcel stared at her for several seconds, before shoving his hands in his pockets and sighing.

"Adriana Mafiay." He muttered, looking between the coffin and Davina. "One of the best women I've ever met, stuck in the worst marriage I've ever seen. She was kind, in her own twisted sense. Out of all of the Mikaelsons, she was the one you could trust the most. Klaus, Rebekah and even Elijah can strike out suddenly for no reason, but Adriana? Adriana would only attack suddenly for one reason. If you touched _her_ immediate sire lines, people she herself made into vampires."

Marcel walked across the attic sitting down in one of the scattered chairs.

"The mother of nightmares." He breathed with a small laugh. "Some people view her and Elijahs sire line as two different things. Elijah's sire line is full of the cleverest people to ever live among society, while hers is full of people that would snap your neck when you thought they were going in for a hug. You know, even though she's one of the most cunning person ever, she once told me: 'Love is like water, it could slip through your fingers yet held up a thousand ships'. To this day I still have no idea what she meant by that."

Davina stepped towards the coffin, analysing the still wood as Marcel spoke.

"Mafiay women don't need a man to survive." She recited under her breath, making Marcel pause in his speech. "That's what she always told me. Pap-Demetri abandoned her while she was pregnant, and magic turned her back on her because she got pregnant out of wedlock."

"I'm going to call Klaus." Marcel muttered, fishing out his phone. "He'll pick up the body and tell his brother. Elijah will probably murder half of the French quarter when he finds out."

Davina watched him leave the room and stand just outside the door, resulting in her back being turned on the coffin, but before Marcels finger could fully press 'call', a large bang filled the spacious room.

Davina whirled around, and Marcel shoved his phone back into his pocket, running to stand next to her.

"Whoo." A high pitched voice coughed out, a dark haired woman sitting up in the, now open, coffin. "They really should vacuum this box, because Jupiter there is dust in there. Yeesh, why do I feel like I'm getting someone's hand me downs?"

A very alive Adriana Mafiay coughed again, wafting away the dust that had risen around her.

"That's the one thing I forgot to say about her." Marcel laughed from next to a shocked Davina. "She's extremely hard to kill. Hey Adri, mind telling the world how you're still alive?"

"Littlest warrior." Adriana cheered, clapping her hands together in childish excitement, excepting the hand he offered out to her and stumbling out the coffin. "You really should fire your coffin guy, that is the most unkept coffin I've ever seen. Don't worry, I'll give you my coffin guy, oh you'll love hi-"

"Adriana." Marcel said, cutting her off. " Alive. How?"

"Apart from the fact I'm to fabulous to kill?" Adriana asked rhetorically. "This little thing." She raised her wrist to showcase the golden wire wrapped around it. "Actually does have a use after all, what do you know? Anyway, I got bitten because Elijah was bitten, and now that Elijah is cured, I'm cured too! Fascinating, isn't it?"

Marcels reply was to pull her into a familiar hug, barefoot she barely reached his shoulder.

"I missed you Adri." He breathed, the possibility of her death finally catching up on him. "I thought you were dead."

Despite Klaus' efforts of being a parent, it was Adriana that actually raised him.

Rebekah was to busy mourning and trying to find another lover to be a true paternal figure. Elijah was the figure head of the family, he had no time to look after a child. Klaus' speciality was swords and war, not the needs of children. But Adriana, Adriana had already been a parent, she knew how to take care of a child. She knew how to bathe cuts without the need of vampire blood, she knew how to cook.

And, in the end, she had been beaten down and bruised by her own family just like Marcel had.

"Adriana." Davina spoke up, not knowing how to address the woman who gave birth to her.

"Ci-Davina." Adriana stated, stepping away from Marcel, her smile wavering slightly. "Are you okay? You look like you've been crying."

"I'm fine." Davina muttered, shifting her weight between her feet.

"Good." Adriana nodded, turning back to Marcel. "You don't mind if I stay with you for a while, Elijahs let me go, but the bracelet is still intact. The minute I see him again, I'm back on a leash."

"No, Adriana." He denied, shaking his head. "Elijah will go on a rampage when your death settles in. You may be at odds, but you're still married. You can stay for the day, but any longer then the dead bodies will start piling up."

"Fine." Adriana huffed, rocking back on the balls of her bare feet. "And where did you put my heels? Couldn't you have just brought a bigger coffin?"

"They're right here." Davina said, lifting the black six inch stilettos off a nearby shelf.

"Grazie, little light." Adriana hummed, balancing on one foot as she slipped the heels on.

"Prego, Mama." Davina answered out off instinct, a hand flying to her mouth once she realised what she had said.

Adriana nearly fell over.

"What?"

"Hello Mama." Davina said meekly, lowering her hand and staring at the the floor.

Davina had been expecting screaming, or at the worst, stunned silence.

She hadn't expected the body barrelling into her, or the sobbing.

"My baby." Adriana cried into her hair, the heels making her a few inches taller than her. "My baby. Oh, you have no idea how I've missed you."

"I missed you too, Mama," Davina (Or was she Cienna now? Names were confusing.) breathed into her collarbone. "Don't leave me again, please."

"I wouldn't dare." Adriana said, rocking them back and forth slightly. "I never meant for you to leave in the first place. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry that I wasn't there for you."

Marcel cleared his throat, reminding them that he was still there.

"Well, my two favourite girls, related." He said, walking to the door as they broke away from each other. "You can definitely see the resemblance. Anyway, you two stay here, no trouble. Or I'm breaking up your slumber party. Understand me?"

"In all technicality, I'm older than you." Davina pointed out as he left, a Mikaelson worthy smirk on her face.

"Yep, you can definitely tell their related." Marcel muttered, shutting the door behind him.

"It's the Mafiay charm, darling." Adriana shouted after him, a large smile on her face.

"You're gonna love it at the compound. I already got the best room in the place picked out." Marcel explained when he came back. Davina painting, and Adriana reading a leather bound book she had found in the darkest corners of the room.

"No, she's not." Adriana contradicted, turning a page in her book. "I've lived with that family for nine hundred years, they're a nightmare to share a roof with."

"Mama's right, I can't leave!" Davina nodded, putting down her paint brush. "Remember what happened last time?"

"I know about your deal with Elijah." Marcel revealed. "We can't be lying to each other. I'm trying to protect you. With the witches still looking to kill you for the Harvest, believe me, you're safest with us."

"Oh, look who decided to join the party." Adriana snarked, snapping her book closed and standing up when Klaus entered the room. "Literally the polar opposite of the word safe."

"Adriana Mafiay, last I heard, you were dead." Klaus tsked, stepping infront of the woman. "I see you got your daughter back as well, you're going to have quite a job explaining this to my brother."

Adriana hissed at him lowly, moving slightly closer to Davina.

"And my lovely niece, I see you're an artist." Klaus carried on, turning to Davina, admiring her painting. "Wonderful! I look forward to witnessing your many talents."

"I'm not your niece." Davina said lowly, turning to Marcel. "Was this his idea?"

"Davina, please. I understand you're devoted to Marcel, but Marcel is devoted to me." Klaus stressed, putting pressure on the me part. "I assume you'll want what's best for all of us. We have a meeting to attend downstairs."

Marcel nodded, Klaus walking away and leaving the door open behind him.

"I'll get someone to pick up your things." Marcel informed Davina, noticing how Adriana's lips were beginning to set in a thin line. "We'll get you settled in right. Trust me."

Marcel quickly turned around, leaving through the open door.

"Well, you can take your devotion and stick it up your already rigid arse." Adriana called after them, furiously slamming the door behind them, quickly turning to her daughter who look too shocked to comprehend what was happening. "Don't worry honey, you don't have to go."

"But I have to, don't I?" Davina stated, dragging a hand through her hair.

"No. No you don't." Adriana contradicted, shaking her head. "I'm going to get us through this, okay? You just have to trust me."

Davina nodded hesitantly, turning around to pack her things. Adriana let out a long sigh watching her, holding her head in her hands.

The minute she saw Elijah, she was going to make him straighten things out.

After all, Davina was his step-daughter.

Adriana was hissing and spitting insults at anyone who even dared to look at her the minute she stepped into the Mikaelson compound.

Why couldn't they go to the Abbatoir, that'll make things so much simpler.

Abbatoir: French for 'slaughter house'. How fitting.

Oh wait, she had named it.

Huh, sometimes Adriana was truly surprised by how sadistic she was.

"You." She snapped venomously, clicking her fingers at some poor newbie vampire. "Where is my husband? Where is Elijah?"

"I-I don't know, Mrs. Mikaelson." The young vampire answered timidly, cowering before the fiery women who was a few inches smaller than him. "He's disappeared."

"Well find out for me." She hissed at him, baring her teeth slightly when he didn't move. "Now!"

The poor baby nodded feverishly, quickly scurrying off to who knows where.

She exhaled angrily through her nose, her hand curling into a fist as she looked around the hall.

"What are you all staring at?" She shouted, seeing that everyone had stopped and stared. "Get back to work."

Quicker than the speed of light, everyone went back to their jobs.

She didn't really care who did what, as long as he found out where in all of hell and Earth her husband had disappeared to.

Honestly, she leaves the idiot alone for ten minutes and he goes gallivanting to who knows where!

Now, to find her daughter.

Downstairs, Hayley had crept up on Davina and Josh.

"I'm sure if you could actually stop Klaus, you would've done it already."

"You're Hayley. Klaus' wife. My mother told me about you." Davina said, recognising Hayley from Adriana's description.

"Ew, no!" Hayley replied, appalled by the mere suggestion. "Never. I'm the pregnant werewolf. And you must be all-powerful super witch, Davina? And let's not forget Josh, newbie vampire _way_ out of his element, voted: Most Likely to Die Next."

"Fantastic." Josh nodded.

"Hey, I'm just another one of Klaus' prisoners. Of course, it _would_ suck if he found out you're still lurking around. Maybe there's a world where we can all look out for each other?" Hayley layed out carefully, trying her best to turn their heads in intrest.

"Hayley, darling." A smooth voice behind her drawled, everyone whirling around to see Adriana leaning on the entrance. "You are truly _terrible_ at trying to manipulate people, don't worry though, I run night classes. Please leave my daughter and her boy toy alone, I have enough on my plate already, without you adding to it."

"Y-You're supposed to be dead." Hayley stuttered out, watching Adriana with wide eyes. "Elijah told me you were dead."

"What is it with everyone thinking I'm dead?" Adriana muttered to herself, shaking her head in disbelief. "Honestly, they should've learnt by now."

"Wait." Josh spoke up, making a time out symbol with his hands. "You two;" He gestured between Davina and Adriana. "Are related. Mother-daughter related. But aren't you like, over five hundred."

"Nine hundred actually." Adriana shrugged. "The most simple explanation is: Witches."

"It's a long story." Davina told him gently. "Mama, he's not my boy toy."

Adriana lazily dragged he eyes up and down Josh to examine him.

"Break her heart, and I'll rip yours out. Understand me?" Adriana said flatly, smiling a sickened sweet smile. "Come on, little light, I'll show you to your room. Wolfie, with me, I've seem to be left on babysitting duty."

Turning on her heel, Adriana clicked out of the garage, not even waiting to see if they had followed her.

Adriana helped Davina unpack, refolding things and putting them in draws with record timing. Only looking up when Hayley entered the room.

"What are you looking for?" Hayley asked curiously, watching Davina rifle through her suitcase.

"My violin." Davina answered. "It must be left in the attic."

"So, just go get it." Hayley she rugged, not seeing the problem.

"I can't." Davina denied, looking down in dissapointment. "It's not safe for me out there."

"Funny, I was under the impression everyone was afraid of you."

"The witches are after me." Davina explained.

"You mean that crazy witch, Agnes? " Hayley asked in confusion. "Yeah, she tried to kill me, too. The thing is, she's dead. Elijah killed her."

Adriana watched the both from where she sat before the drawers, analysing every single small movement.

"But..." Davina trailed off, shaking her her head. "Agnes was the last living Elder. If she's dead, then I'm safe. Marcel would've told me."

"Maybe he didn't wanna lose his secret weapon against the witches?" Hayley asked coldly.

"That's enough Hayley." Adriana warmed, standing up from her kneeling position, stepping next to her daughter and eyeing the wolf. "You can go now."

"You're lying." Davina said, subconsciously stepping closer to her mother.

"Why would I lie to you?" Hayley sighed.

"I said that's enough." Adriana snapped, knowing this wouldn't end well.

"Because you want something from me. Everyone does." Davina argued back, the Mafiay fire in her eyes.

"Do I want something from you? Yeah, Davina, actually, I do. Thanks to your friend Marcel, most of my family is cursed. They're stuck in their wolf form, except on a full moon. Now, I'm smart enough to know that every curse has a loophole." Hayley explained, deciding to ignore Adriana's muttering of 'No, you're not'. "And, well, you're the strongest witch I've ever heard of. But I wouldn't lie to you to get what I want. I'd ask you. I guess that's the difference between Marcel and me."

Hayley turned to leave, but the next thing Davina snapped out made her freeze.

"At least I'm not the one falling for a married man." The words slipped from her lips before she even realised she said them.

"Elijah's not married." Hayley denied, turning around slowly.

"We never said it was Elijah." Adriana pointed out, knowing it was better to have this conversation sooner rather than later.

"You really should pay attention to people's hands." Hayley breathed out, pointing a finger at her in disbelief. "You. He married you?"

"I'm lovable." Adriana shrugged, raising an eyebrow when Hayley aruptedly left the room. "Is that so unbelievable? I can be lovable if I want to be, I just don't want to be most of the time."

"You should go, Mama." Davina muttered, her eyes downcast in realisation of Marcels plan. "Elijah's back."

"Fine." Adriana huffed, clicking her tongue sharply. "If you need me honey, I'll be arguing with my husband about why we're still here."

Adriana clicked out the room, quickly disappearing into the library before Elijah could notice her.

Hey, a few more moments of freedom never hurt anyone.

"Adriana Mikaelson!" Elijah shouted at the top of his voice, barging into the library as Adriana turned a page in her book. "I thought you were dead."

"Everyone seems to think that lately." Adriana commented, not looking up from her book. "So little faith in me. I'm almost offended. Almost."

"I thought you were dead." Elijah repeated through gritted teeth, looming over her chair. "I mourned you. I thought my own wife was dead, when she was here all along."

Adriana let out a small puff of breath, closing her book and elegantly standing up to face him.

"Yet, here I am." She replied gesturing to herself, meeting his stare with one of her own. "You really should know better Elijah."

"Bloody Mafiay women." Elijah cursed under his breath. "Giving everyone here to China a pounding headache."

"Part of the charm dear." Adriana smirked. "You really should have read the terms and conditions before you signed up for the package."

"I'll remember that for next time." He muttered, calming down slightly. "I hear my step-daughter has told Hayley about our marriage."

"Davina did us a favour." She stated, crossing her arms over her chest. "Gods know we weren't going to break it to her. How did she take it?"

"Going through denial as we speak." Elijah said flippantly. "Prepare for a confrontation."

"Why do they always do that?" Adriana muttered to herself.

"I'm glad you're not dead, gypsy girl." Elijah said gently after a pause, reaching out and carefully holding her hand.

"Me too, little warrior." Adriana smiled softly, lightly squeezing his hand.

"Don't you ever put me through that again." He warned, letting out a deep breath.

"Never." She answered, closing her eyes when he kissed her forehead. "I still hate you."

"I hate you too, dear."


	8. A White Wedding

**AN: Hello! This is a really long one, no matter, this chapter deserved it! Thank you everyone for reviewing/following/favouriting, kisses for all of you! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **A White Wedding**

* * *

 **In which Adriana relives a few bad memories**

* * *

"Where is she?" Adriana shouted at the top of her voice, the door being brutally thrown open as she marched into the room.

"Whoever do you mean, sweetheart?" Elijah said, calmly turning a page in his book, his black leaning against the dark wooden headboard of the bed.

"My daughter, _tu idiota!_ " His wife screeched at him, striding forward and knocking the book out of his hands. "She's disappeared."

"Well done Adriana, I've lost my page now." Elijah grumbled, not taking his eyes off the book, which had tumbled to the floor.

"Do you have a hearing problem?" She snapped, glaring at him from where she stood. "Let me repeat it for you: Davina, our daughter, has disappeared. Meaning she's gods know where, with gods know who. Get off your _pigro culo_ and help me find her!"

She sharply turned on the tip of her heel and stormed out the room, Elijah sighing deeply and following after her.

He briefly wondered if she'd realised she had said 'our daughter'.

Adriana strode through the French quarter, muttering several Latin curses under her breath.

She had taken a right, while Elijah decided to scour the left side of the city.

"Just you wait, young lady." Adriana hissed under her breath, trying to find Davinas trail under all the other bustling humans. "The minute you come home, I'll give you such a bad grounding that the Pluto will weep for you."

"It's late Adriana." Elijah spoke up, moving to stand next to her. "Her scent has disappeared from this area for a long time now. We'll look again tomorrow, she's fine."

Adriana hissed under her breath, scowling at the unsuspecting pedestrians that didn't know how easily they could be killed.

Elijah calmly wrapped an arm around her waist, softly guiding her back to the compound, Adriana gently rested her head on his arm as they walked, worry written all over her face.

The next morning, Hayley was examining a pure white vintage wedding dress between her fingers when Elijah walked in.

"How are you?" He asked, leaning on the doorway and watching her carefully.

"Fine." Hayley smiled nervously, trying to push away her feelings for him as she spoke. "Trying to avoid Adriana, she's been hissing and biting at everyone since breakfast."

"My wife is currently, as you may say, beyond humane reason. My step-daughter, Davina, has decided to pull a dissapearing act on us all." Elijah hummed, noting how Hayley flinched at the word 'wife'.

"What do you think?" She hummed, holding up the dress to show it to him fully. "I found it in one of the trunks. Who did it belong too?"

Elijah let out an inaudible noise as he stared at the dress, recognising it's plane satin and intricate lacing.

"Put it away." He finally managed to choke out, his eyes suddenly becoming cloudy. "I'm serious Hayley, put the dress away before Adriana sees."

"Before I see what?" Adriana asked, strolling into the room with a cup of warm herbal tea in her hands. "Honestly little warrior, you really need to make sure the person you're talking about isn't a few feet away before you-"

The cup of tea fell from her fingers and shattered on the floor the second she laid eyes on the dress.

"By the gods." Adriana said with choked breath, raising a shaking finger to point at the dress. "Th-that's my wedding dress."

 _Adriana and Elijah had been remarried to each other a total of four times._

 _Their first official wedding was in 1120, six years after she had been turned._

 _It had been a small, intimate affair with only a few in attendance._

 _Jupiter, even Elijah's siblings had behaved for the day._

 _The second time was in 1252, Elijah had been facing a lot of marriage proposals from strange women, and the church had been starting to suspect them._

 _Enter Adriana under a disguise, masquerading around as the innocent daughter of a late Lord._

 _They married, gained everyones approval, and then poor 'Francesca' died off a fever._

 _Everyone accepted that Elijah was a mourning widower and moved on with their lives._

 _The third time 1489, three years before Katerina made an appearance._

 _Opposed to common belief, Elijah and Adriana had been getting on splendidly before the Bulgarian whore traipsed into the castle._

 _Again, a small formal affair, again with the same rings they'd been married with two times before._

 _Then, Katerina rocked up with her cursed face, stole the rings, and their relationship slowly turned into shambles._

 _Adriana refused to marry him again, not speaking to him for a full decade as she came to terms with it._

 _The fourth, and final time, Adriana agreed to marry Elijah was in 1905, a year after the Mikaelsons had made the small city of New Orleans into an empire._

 _Three years before Elijah met Celeste._

 _This was a large affair, every high classed resident of the city praying to their gods that they would be invited to what some called: The Wedding Of The Decade._

 _Her hair had been pulled up into an extravagant bun, pearls and white lilies threaded into it. Her dress a lovely pure white with buttons all the way done her spine. She held a beaucoup of white roses and walked down the aisle with such grace, that no one could take their eyes of her._

 _But anyone who paid enough attention, anyone who wasn't distracted by the perfect flower arrangements or breathtaking displays would notice that this wasn't a big white wedding._

 _It was a spectacle._

 _This was a gala, a display for the people of New Orleans so they wouldn't question the Mikaelsons strong hold over the city._

 _This wasn't a wedding, this was a display of power._

Adriana stared at the dress as Hayley quickly stuffed it back into the trunk, her eyes clouded over as memories flashed before her in the backs of her eyes.

"Try and find something in one of the rooms, something that will cover your birthmark." Elijah muttered to Hayley as she quickly tried to flee the attic. "Rebekah should have something."

Adriana let out a small choked sound the minute Hayley had left, pulling away the dirtied fabric that was covering a portrait that lay next to the trunk.

It was wedding a portrait.

They were both facing away from the painter, the detail of her hair so life like she could almost feel the adornments as if she was wearing them now.

She could see the soft fabric of Elijah's suit as the man looked down at her, remembered how soft the fabric had felt underneath her fingers.

To an outsider, this would look like the perfect picture of a happy couple pleasantly chatting away to each other on their wedding day.

Though, her memory clearly dictated that they were arguing in hushed whispers when this portrait had been captured.

Three years after this had been presented to them, Adriana had made a spectacle of throwing both of her expensive golden rings into the fire after finding out about Elijah's mistress, and how Elijah had chucked his ring into the ocean a few days later when he discovered about her affair.

"Adriana." Elijah called softly, gently wrapping his hand around her forearm and guiding her towards the door. "Come on, gypsy girl, we don't need to stay here."

With one last haunted look at the painting, Elijah shut and locked the attic door.

"You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to know the obvious." Klaus stated when Marcel had joined he and Adriana in the living room. "Our secret weapon has escaped."

"May I remind you that your secret weapon, is my daughter." Adriana snapped at him, worriedly checking her phone for a text that alerted her that her own daughter was okay. "This isn't like her."

"She wouldn't just leave" Marcel agreed, pacing the room. "She knows the witches want her back."

"Her violin is missing." Elijah said as he turned the corner, everyone raising their head to look at him. "She may have left of her own volition."

"What did you say to her in the attic?" Marcel asked him, immediately walking over to stand to to toe. "She lied to my face so she could stay up there, thinking that you'd help her control her magic. How do we know you didn't take her?"

"Marcel." Adriana spoke up, striding over and stepping between them. "We didn't have anything to do with Davinas disappearance, do you really think I would kidnap my own daughter?"

"I wasn't talking to you Adri." Marcel waved off, glaring fully at Elijah.

"I have no idea where Davina is, or why she ran away." Elijah denied, eyeing Marcel dangerously. "Can I suggest you take a step back?"

After a few short moments, Marcel stepped back, reluctantly.

"I can assure you I have absolutely no desire to see that child come into harm's way." Elijah continued, glancing at his wife briefly. "She's suffered enough with this Harvest ritual nonsense."

"That child, to whom you refer to so affectionately, is the most powerful witch in New Orleans." Klaus scoffed. "If she's fled, what's to stop her from destroying us? In fact, destroying all we've worked for? No, if she's not a friend to this family, then she is our enemy."

"She is a friend, Klaus." Marcel confirmed,

"In a sense, she is a Mikaelson." Adriana pointed out, crossing her arms and staring Klaus down. "She's family, whether you like it or not."

"Well, let's hope so, and she doesn't have the persistent family trait of stabbing members in the back." Both Elijah and Adriana rolled their eyes at Klaus' backhanded jibe. "Lucky for you, I know how to get her back. Follow my lead."

"You know how Niklaus operates." Elijah said lowly, watching his younger brothers retreating form carefully. "If he perceives a threat, he can become quite ruthless. This would not bode well for Davina."

"I'm not going to let anybody lay a finger on her." Marcel replied, Adriana stopping to look back at them.

"Nor will I."

"Come on, boys." Adriana growled at them when she saw they weren't following. "You can compete for the daddy position later, we need to find her first."

Adriana quickly ran into the attic burrowing through the trunks to try and find an appropriate dress for the Casket Girls gala.

She found nothing.

And then her eyes landed on her old wedding dress.

"Seriously?" She muttered to herself, picking up the wedding dress Hayley had previously held earlier that day. "You have got to be kidding me."

Her single, golden wedding band was stark against the pure white satin dress.

"Why not?" She breathed out reluctantly, climbing into the dress and putting her hair into a tight bun with a few strands framing her face. "I am going to regret this."

Elijah face was a picture when she passed him as she walked towards the front door.

"Are you coming or not?" She snapped at him, dissapearing out the front door with a fluid move of the fabric.

"Of course, dear." Elijah muttered under his breath, snickering to himself. "Anything you need, dear."

"Oh, be quiet!"

"Kieran is gonna call me first if he hears anything." Marcel informed them.

"Ah, you two look rather cozy, and Adriana, what a surprise, last time I saw you in that dress you were arguing with my brother, I'm surprised it's not in tatters from the banging I heard from your room that night." Klaus smirked, approaching the three of them.

Adriana pinched the bridge of her nose, exhaling sharply to relieve some pressure.

"Oh, don't smile." She scolded Elijah, seeing him trying to hide a smirk. "You're only going to encourage him."

"I was just telling Elijah how we're wasting time." Marcel jumped in, looking around him with disdain.

"You don't like festivals?" Klaus asked him, smirking slightly.

"I don't see why not. Who doesn't love a street fair?" Rebekah asked, joining the four of them.

"Sister, come to help us find our lovely niece that has somehow gone astray?" Klaus asked his sister cheekily.

"We can't let such a precious gem get in the wrong hands, can we?" Rebekah smiled serenely.

Don't kill them. Don't kill them. Don't kill them. Adriana chanted in her head. Nothing good is going to happen if you kill them.

"For the record, we're moments away from retrieving her."

"I recognize that tone of voice, Niklaus." Elijah stated, turning to his siblings with a smile. "Clearly you have some diabolical machination. What is it?"

Klaus' smirk grew even wider as he disappeared into the crowd, Elijah, Rebekah, Adriana and Marcel watching him with intrest.

"Timothy..." He trailed off, grabbing the attention of an unknown boy. "Might I have a word?"

"I thought he was dead." Adriana muttered to Elijah, furrowing her eyebrows at the young boy with confusion. "Isn't he the kid Davina fancies?"

"I think so." Elijah nodded.

"Where's Rebekah gotten off to?" Klaus asked Elijah once they had regrouped in the compound.

"It's not Rebekah that I'm concerned about." Elijah dismissed, Adriana walking into the room still dressed in her wedding dress. "And how can you be so certain that Davina will come?"

"One might think you've forgotten what it's like to be in the grip of an all consuming infatuation." Klaus said, determination coating his voice. "She'll come."

"Are the maudlin theatrics absolutely necessary, Niklaus?" Elijah sighed, looking up at the compelled violinist sitting in the rafters."

"How did he even get up there?" Adriana asked, tilting her head slightly to the left. "The boy is so thin I wouldn't even get a snack out of him.

"Ha! You both make quite good points." Klaus chortled, looking up and shouting to the boy: "Timothy, play something a little more upbeat, please. That's a good lad." Marcel joined them at that moment, stopping at the other side of Adriana. "Took you long enough to spread the word."

"Have you met his nightwalkers?" Elijah asked rhetorically. "Not the brightest assortment."

"You think everyone is stupid, little warrior." Adriana pointed out, looking up at her husband.

"No, I'm pretty sure that's you who says that. gypsy girl."

"I do no-"

"All that matters is I got it covered." Marcel interrupted, causing a pout from Adriana. "When Davina gets here, you three need to let me do the talking.

"Well, I'm sure you'll have your chance." Klaus grinned, turning to face Davina. _"_ Hello, love. Silence is golden, Timothy. Thank you."

"Davina?" Timothy asked in confusion, halting in his playing.

"You got me here. Now let him down." Davina told Klaus sternly.

"Well, first, we have to have a little chat about you returning to the fold." Klaus said, smiling to himself.

"What did I say, Klaus?" Marcel asked his sire, before turning back to Davina. "I got this. D, what happened? Why'd you run? Talk to me. Hey, I can make it right."

"Seriously?" Adriana asked Marcel, raising a perfect eyebrow in question. "I didn't raise my daughter like a hunter of Diana just for you to baby her Marcellus."

"How, may I ask do you plan to do this, by threatening my friend?" Davina asked, the Mafiay sass leaking through.

"Actually, that was my idea." Klaus admitted. "Apologies. I've been known to go too far to make a point, But I do always get results."

"You pretend to be so confident, but I know the truth. You're afraid everyone can see what you really are; an animal." Davina reached out and flicks her wrist, causing Niklaus to fall to his knees in pain. "A beast. Why don't you show us your real face?" She tilted her wrist again, and Klaus' werewolf face fell through, before his necks snapped roughly to the side and he crumbled to the floor. "That's enough of you."

"Davina, you don't have to do this." Elijah spoke up, taking a small step forward.

"You!" Davina shouted, pointing at him furiously. "You looked me in the eyes and lied to my face. Pretended you wanted to help me."

"Listen to me-" Elijah started nervously.

"Don't interrupt me, I am a Mafiay, we do not need the help of any man." Davina stated, easily cutting him off. "You call yourself the noble one, but you're a killer just like your brother. For a thousand years, you've fed on innocent blood. Why don't you choke on it?"

With a small movement of her wrist, Elijah fell to the ground, coughing up crimson red blood until he fell unconscious.

Adriana watched Elijah fall with a frustrated expression, before realising she was still standing and Elijah was unconscious.

"Why do I have the feeling I'm next?" She muttered to herself, pivoting on her heel to face Davina.

"And Mama." Davina seethed out, setting her sights on her. "The mother of nightmares, I did a little research while I was away, turns out you may be the worst out of them. You've manipulated. You've deceived. And your just as bad as your husband."

Adriana stayed silent, calmly taking whatever her daughter threw at her.

"The cast out witch, the original scarlet woman." Davina sneered, raising a hand and flicking her wrist. "That must come with some pretty bad memories, why don't you relive them?"

Davina paused for a second, before harshly flicking her wrist in an upwards motion. Turning away from her mother as she fell to her knees, letting out a silent scream as her eyes misted over, and she fell next to her husband.

 _"Whore!"_

 _"Scarlet woman!"_

 _"Traitor!"_

 _"What's your name?" Elijah asked her, as they rode to the villa she would stay in for the rest of her days._

 _She had so many things people called her, so, so, many things._

 _But only one of them was her name._

 _"Adriana." She smiled at the Lord shyly. "My name is Adriana Angelo Mafiay, my Lord."_

 _"Adriana Angelo Mafiay." A dark haired lady muttered, knowing the slave master would be knocking on her door the next week, demanding his part of the bargain. "That is your name, my dark angel, and no one can take that away from you."_

 _"Cienna Picolla Mafiay." Adriana smiled down to her daughter, glancing at the locked door nervously. "That is your name, my little light, and no one can take that away from you."_

 _"You will kill the baby." Demetri snarled, waving a slightly shaking hand in her direction. "Or I swear to your Gods, Adriana Mafiay, I will kill it myself."_

 _"No." Adriana shouted, wrapping her arms around her stomach to protect the baby. "I won't let you."_

 _"Watch me." He sneered, growling lowly._

 _"And risk everyone knowing how much of a whore you are." Adriana threatened, stumbling away from him when he advanced closer. "Just let me keep the baby, please, I'll keep your name out of it I promise! I swear on all five rivers of the Underworld."_

 _"One word." He threatened, pointing a sharpened knife at her womb. "Even something I perceive as a hint, I will burn both you and this changeling demon inside you until your nothing but ashes, do you understand me?"_

 _"Yes!" She screamed, frantically moving herself away from the knife. "I understand. I understand."_

 _She watched him go with terror clouding her fingers, not daring to move a muscle until he was completely out of sight._

 _"Don't worry, baby." She muttered to the slight bump forming. "Mamas going to protect you, and I always will. No matter what you may do."_

"Well, isn't this monumentally awkward." Elijah sighed to himself, wiping away the crusted blood and watching as Marcel and Klaus got to their feet.

"Adriana." Elijah whispered, fear lacing his voice when he saw the tears running down Adriana's face as she was still unconscious. "Come on, gypsy girl, don't make me worry like this."

Adriana shot up with her eyes wide open, breathing heavily and shakily when he moved to touch her.

It seemed she didn't notice him and Marcel staring at her, as she just curled into herself and started to sob into her hands.

"Come on, Adri." Elijah said softly, carefully grabbing her hands and pulling her up, Andriana immediately callopsing on him and crying into his shoulder. "You're going to be okay. You're going to be okay."

"Oh, come on." Klaus said, once he hung up with Rebekah, turning to see Elijah and Marcel glaring at him openingly, and Adriana sneering at him through her tears. "The stench of your judgment is overwhelming. Need I remind you that Davina just bested the lot of us? I did what had to be done. Don't worry, Elijah. I remain as redeemable as ever."

"So you compelled that boy to poison Davina without consulting Marcel or myself." Elijah stated, wrapping a hand around Adriana's waist.

"You know what the worst part is?" Marcel asked him, scoffing slightly. "It's that you're so predictable, I had to make an alliance with your brother, who I don't even _like_."

"Judging by your expression, you have something you'd like to share." Klaus said, clearly not amused.

"Damn straight, I do." Marcel nodded. "I got a call from Kieran earlier, right after Sabine and some witches almost got their hands on Davina first."

"So, when you slipped away to allegedly check on your nightwalkers, you were, in fact, colluding with a witch. That's very clever. I suppose I should be proud."

"Eh, I just wanted to make sure I had a fail safe just in case, as Elijah expected, you started acting like you." Marcel said through gritted teeth, storming away from the group.

"Except that now you've involved the witches, who, last time I checked, were enemy to us all, to everything we have, _and_ to our family.

"Davina is Marcel's family, Niklaus, or did that somehow slip your mind as you tried to take her life?" Elijah sighed once more, shaking his head. "Even worse, she's my wife's daughter, making her my family as well. You will call Rebekah. You'll tell her that Davina will recover. I do wish the same could be said for that boy."

"Adriana." Klaus sighed, turning to the woman, who was still shaking slightly from the repressed memories.

"Stay the hell away from me." Adriana just snapped at him, her voice coming out like a small puff of breath as she walked away from them. Marcel starting to talk to her gently as they both walked away.

Adriana fled to her room, the moment she knew Davina was okay. Sitting carefully on her bed with her head in her hands.

"Adriana." Marcel said, his voice interrupting her inner argument, as he leaned against her doorway. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." Adriana coughed out, rising off her bed and busying herself around the room. "I'm surprised your still here and not returned to the tasks of the city by now."

"I wanted to check on you." He admitted, stepping into her room and glancing around. "You're not okay Adri. Davina hit you with quite a spell, I'm sure she didn't realise how mu-"

"Stop." Adriana interrupted sternly, raising a hand to stop him. "My own daughter hates me now, forgive me if I'm taking a while to process that."

"She doesn't hate you." Marcel denied, walking to stand next to her. "She hates me, sure, but not you."

"Great." Adriana muttered to herself, resting her head in her hands. "Just great."

"Look after Davina for me." Marcel finally spoke up, after a few short moments of tense silence, placing a small slip of paper on her desk. "My numbers on there if you need to call me. Goodbye Adri."

"Goodbye littlest warrior." She sighed, closing the door once he had left, letting out a small sob once she was sure he was out of earshot.


	9. It's Raining, It's Pouring

**AN: Hi! I'm so sorry I was away for so long! This chapter was really hard to write. Anyway, I'm back again, yay! Enjoy!**

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 **It's Raining, It's Pouring**

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 **In which Adriana is also scared of earthquakes**

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All in all, Adriana Mafiay was not having a great day.

"Not talking to you." She snapped with a sharp hiss at Elijah, her husband sighed deeply as he watched her wander aimlessly around his office.

"Adriana, I know this may be hard on you..." Elijah trailed off carefully, wincing slightly as the loud smash of glass echoed down from the upstairs bedroom.

"La, la, la, la. I'm not listening." Adriana muttered, ignoring the smashing and shouting coming from Davinas room since the early hours of this morning. "If I don't listen, it doesn't exist."

"I'm sure Davina didn't realise the magnitude of the situation." Elijah spoke up again, treading on eggshells as he walked towards the taboo topic. "Remember Adriana, Davina is still a teenage girl, they all get upset with their mothers sooner or later."

"The fact that she also refuses to even look at me anymore, even acknowledge my existence, might be a good reason to why I'm upset Elijah." Adriana snarled out, whirling around on her heels to face him. "And I thought I said that I didn't want to talk to you?"

"Davina didn't realise-" Elijah started, only to be interrupted by his wife slamming her manicured hands on the desk.

"What Davina didn't realise is the pain and torture I went through to keep her safe." Adriana stated, staring down Elijah coldly. "What she didn't realise is that I did what I did to protect her."

"You've killed millions of people in cold blood Adriana!" Elijah finally snapped back, glaring back at her as his patience snapped. "That isn't protection, it's murder."

"Who are you to talk about technicalities?" Adriana spat, leaning over his desk so that their noses were almost talking. "I am trapped by a shackle in a marriage I no longer want. And they call me evil..."

"That is enough, Adriana." He growled, standing up suddenly and staring down at her.

"Why?" She asked, straightening her back and facing him head on. "Afraid your mistress will hear how horrible you truly are?"

"I do what I do to protect you."

"The we're not so different are we; you and I." Adriana smirked, stepping away from him. "We both murder in cold blood to save those we deem worthy of our protection. You go and on about family power, chivalry and loyalty and yet, in a sense, you own none of those properties. You're a hypocrite Elijah, a liar, a cheater, a husband, a devil. That's what you are."

"Are we doing character studies now?" Elijah scoffed, calmly sitting back down in his chair. "Fine, I'll play your game. Adriana Angelo Mafiay, a light angel that painted itself black. You go on about betrayal, injustice, and your fathomable hate for everyone who tries to show you kindness. And yet, you're just like a playground bully, you act cold to hide that inside your drowning. You're a liar Adriana Mikaelson, you lie so much that you've begun to lie to yourself."

He leaned back as Adriana stated walking towards the door, her steps large and hurried as he reached for the doorknob.

"Tell me, Mrs, Mikaelson." Elijah spoke up once more, before she could fully open the door. "How does it feel drowning in the lake you made?"

"I may have made the lake, Mr. Mikaelson." Adriana seethed out through gritted teeth. "But it is you that handed me the spade and pointed out the best place to make it."

The sound of her heels traveled down the hallway as she walked away.

"The Italians call them _strega_." Elijah started, when Klaus, Rebekah, and Adriana all gathered in his office. "The Yoruba of West Africa call them _aje_ , meaning mother. Where my mother was from, they called them _häxa_ , and here we call them _witch_. Over the centuries, vampires have fought them and fought beside them, bedded them and burned them. Whether adversary or ally, they have been a force to be reckoned with. Their ancestral magic anchors this city. There's never been one all powerful witch until Davina."

"Who is now tucked in safe and sound down the hall under my protection." Klaus stated, not really seeing the point in this meeting. "Your Celeste was quite beautiful and a portent of evil, according to our volatile artist in residence."

"Yes." Elijah nodded. "Perhaps Davina's mistaken what she calls evil for power. Celeste was certainly very powerful in her day, but she's been dead for over two hundred years."

"Oh, please." Adriana scoffed, looking up from picking at her nails. "You may have seen Celeste as the most perfect thing to ever grace the earth, but I saw her for what she really was. Celeste wasn't powerful, she was a whore that blinded your already idiotic judgement."

"Thank you, Adriana." Elijah said calmly, deciding to ignore Adrianas statement. "What I don't understand though is, why all these sketches now? Why Davina?"

"Why did it have to be a Mafiay?" Klaus muttered under his breath, making Adrianas head snap towards him so fast it would give a human whiplash.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She sneered at him, flexing her fingers slightly as another loud crash went off.

Adriana was in the courtyard when the earthquake started.

The Roman belief of the Olympians had only recently faded away when Adriana was born, Catholicity was the mainstream religion, but Adriana Mafiay had ears that were designed for whispers in the wind. So, slightly in spite of those around her, Adriana picked up the Roman ways of life.

That's why she started screaming when the earthquake happened.

"Oh no." She whispered, when the entire compound shook, her voice gaining volume with every word. "No. No. No. No. No."

She began hugging the chair like a lifeline, staring at the floor and muttering every prayer she knew.

"What the hell is going on?" Rebekah asked as she sauntered into the courtyard, Elijah quickly disappearing from the upstairs balcony to appear infront of Adriana, taking ahold of her hand and detaching her from the chair as she muttered feverishly,

"Davina." Klaus said, looking grim as he walked to join them.

"Done." Adriana hissed, shoving Elijah off her once the shaking stopped. "Completely, utterly, a hundred percent done at this point. If anybody wants to die, I'll be in my room, being a hundred percent done with this mess."

"So you have stolen the remains of the very person that Davina's been drawing for months." Elijah said a few minutes later as Sophie stood in the compound. "Would you care to explain this startling coincidence?"

"I can't." Sophie denied. "I didn't even know who Celeste Dubois was until I-"

She was cut off when the house started shaking violently, Adriana pratically pushing her over so she could latch onto Elijah like a baby Koala.

"Hello again Adriana." Elijah laughed slightly, putting her back on the floor once the earthquake had stopped.

"I still hate you." Adriana scoffed, squeaking and stepping closer to him when the house shook once more. "Oh, shut up."

"I didn't say anything."

"You thought it though."

"Was that Davina?" Sophie asked, making both Elijah and Adriana turn to her.

"Why's she here?" Adriana asked, raising an eyebrow at her husband once she noticed Sophie was there. "Why's she here honey? If I'd known you wanted a microwave dinner tonight I would've gotten a slightly podgier human than this chopstick. How am I meant to work with that?"

"Charming little habit she's developed." Klaus explained, distracting Sophie from Adrianas carefully worded insult.

"And the earthquake I felt today?" Sophie badgered on.

"Also Davina." Rebekah filled in. "And, she's taken to vomiting dirt."

Adriana almost choked on her own tongue when she heard that little fact.

"Oh." Sophie breathed out in panic. "We have a huge problem. I thought that we had more time, but we need to complete the Harvest now."

"Excuse me!" Adriana screeched loudly.

"Said the desperate witch, _conveniently_." Klaus added.

"I'm serious!" Sophie shouted, panic seeping through her voice. "That earthquake you just felt is a preview of the disaster movie that is about to hit us."

"Why should we believe you?" Elijah asked, sharing a look with Adriana.

"You've met Davina, you know her story." Sophie said, pratically shaking in fright. "For months now, she's been holding all the power of the three girls sacrificed in the Harvest ritual. A force that was meant to flow through her and back into the earth. One person was never meant to hold that much power. It's tearing her apart, and it will take us down with it."

"Well, then fix her you _puttana_!" Andriana shouted, Elijah holding her back as she lunged for the witch. "That's my daughter, fix her, or I'll have to disfigure your face. Tell me honey, ever heared of genitial mutation?"

"Adriana." Elijah shouted over his wife's rant, Adriana immediately quieting down. "Now is not the time."

"Fine," Adriana hissed lowly, tearing herself away from Elijah. "I'll do it later."

"You've convinced my siblings." Elijah said later, once Marcel had decided to show his face. "You have yet to convince any of us."

"We don't have time to waste. The first sign's already come and gone."

"So fix her!" Marcel exclaimed, staring Sophie down.

"What do you think I've been screaming at her to do for the last five minutes?" Adriana growled at Marcel, biting the nail on her thumb nervously. "Make out with her?"

"She can't be fixed." Sophie sighed, shaking her head.

"Well, you're absuloutly no help." Adriana sneered, she and Marcel both growling lowly at the witch. Elijah sweetie, get my cooking pot ready. We're having witch for dinner."

She was about to lunge at Sophie, but then the wind started, making her go flying back and land on Marcel, who, thankfully, had enough balance to keep them both upright.

"We sedated her too heavily." Elijah said, once Klaus came down.

"Well, if this is her sedated, I'd hate to see her otherwise. We all agreed that Davina must be sacrificed." At this, both Marcel and Adriana snapped their heads to the side to glare down Klaus. "There's no need to let her blow the roof off our heads in the meantime."

"No way! You're not touching her!" Marcel shouted, punching Klaus straight across the jaw.

"Okay, I'll let you have that one." Klaus said, rubbing his face.

"Marcel, no one wishes to see Davina come to harm less than I, but there is no scenario here in which we simply wait this out. She's going to die."

"According to Sophie, the witch who screwed over everybody here." Marcel hissed angrily.

"The Harvest was working before it was stopped." Elijah said. "If a nonbeliever like Sophie Deveraux can come to have faith that these girls will be resurrected, then I, also, am a believer."

"It doesn't make you a believer, little warrior." Adriana pointed out. "People follow absurd cults all the time because they 'believe'. It doesn't make you a believer, it makes you a coward who wants the easy way out."

"I saved Davina from the Harvest, and now you want me to just hand her over?" Marcel added, standing next to Adriana.

"Do you think that I'm happy about this?" Klaus scoffed. "If the witches complete the Harvest, not only do they regain their power, we lose our weapon against them. The earthquake I was willing to chalk up to hideous coincidence, but these winds? If Davina is not sacrificed, then every inch of earth that shook, everything blowing about now will soon be drenched in water and consumed by fire."

"Lovely." Adriana blinked, looking slightly lost for words.

"Oh! Now you care about the city." Marcel drawled out.

"Dear gods, here we go again." Adriana muttered, sighing in boredom. "Stupid men and their stupid possesive tendencies. It's just a peice of land, for goodness sakes."

She was, of course, ignored.

"We ought to. We built it." Elijah stated.

"And we all saw it burnt to the ground twice." Klaus added. "I will not let that happen again. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yeah. Yeah." Marcel muttered, leaving the room angrily.

"Not a people person, are you, Niklaus?" Elijah asked, turning to his brother.

"Nonsense." Klaus denied. "I love people. Just on my way to warn a couple of prominent ones in case the weather gets out of hand. If you fancy yourself as _plus diplomatique_ , perhaps you'd like to come along."

"No." Elijah said, shaking his head. "Soon Sophie Deveraux shall be consecrating Celeste's remains, and though her actions are reprehensible, still I should pay my respects."

"Hey. Do you have a minute?" Hayley asked hesitantly as she entered the room.

"Just on my way out." Elijah said coldly, walking away from the group. "With me, Adriana."

Adriana threw her head back and laughed loudly at the obvious cold shoulder, the broken look on Hayley's face only making her laugh louder.

"Which one of us is the people person again?" Klaus called after his brother.

"Adriana." Elijah called, ignoring his brothers comment as he walked out the door.

"I'm the people person, Niklaus." Adriana snickered as she strutted towards the door. "Since both of you are acting like children."

"You hate people, Adriana." Klaus pointed out.

"I hate idiots, dear. Not my fault that most of humanity just happens to be made up of idiots, take Hayley for example. Birth protection sweetie, a miracle to man kind."

An offended look painted it's was onto Hayley's face, but Elijahs voice cut her off before she could retort.

"Adriana!"

"I'm coming!" Adriana shouted back. "Yeesh. Why am I being dragged to see the dead whore anyway? I didn't even like the bitch."

"You don't have to be here for this." Sabine stated, the three of them standing around It's gonna take some time for Sophie to prepare for her consecration.

"I have time. I owe her this."

"I don't have time, and I don't owe her anything." Adriana muttered angrily, a cold sneer on her face. "Yet here I am, visiting the hated."

"Care to elaborate why?" Sabine asked, glancing at Adriana.

"Have you ever experienced something so profound and wonderful that when it was taken from you your life felt unbearable?"

"Yes, I have felt that, and I've got the scars to prove it." Sabine nodded, Adriana purposely tuning out of the conversation and focusing on different noises around the city to block them out.

"I believe that when you love someone and that person loves you in return you're uniquely vulnerable." Elijah smiled, turning his head to look at his wife. "They have a power to hurt you that's like nothing else."

"Are you sure you're still talking about Celeste?" Sabine asked, seeing the way Elijah turned to Adriana while he was saying this.

"I don't think I know anymore." Elijah smiled softly, picking up his phone when it started ringing. "Rebekah."

"He's taken Davina." Rebekah started without greeting.

"Who has?" Elijah asked in confusion.

"Bloody, bloody Marcel!"

"Bloody?" Adriana asked looking up from her nails, speeding to stand next to Elijah and listen in on the conversation. "This should be good.

"And you wanted to run off and start a life with this back-stabber!." Klaus could be heard shouting in the background.

"Says the man who was shacking up with him not two seconds before all this went down." Rebekah shouted back to her brother, before going back to speak to Elijah. "Okay. We need to divide and conquer if we're gonna stand a chance. He could have gone anywhere."

"Well, I'm here with Sabine." Elijah said, turning to look at the witch. "Perhaps we could try a locator spell?"

"I'll talk to the priest. They might even be at the church. It's the last place we'd think to look for them, right?" Klaus informed, joining the conversation.

"Okay." Rebekah breathed. "You check the church, I'll check everywhere else."

"Okay. Okay." Sabine nodded, looking down at Adrianas blood on the map. "She's somewhere near the river. I can't be more specific then that right now, he has a witch covering them."

"Glad I could be at service." Adriana hummed, standing up from her cross legged position.

Elijah nodded in thanks, but before the could leave, the tomb holding Celestes bones started shaking.

"It didn't work." Sophie gasped. "I tried to consecrate her and absorb her magic, but there's nothing there."

"I don't understand." Elijah stated, while Elijah hissed and started spewing out various curse words. "A witch's magic is infused in her bones until consecrated."

"Well, then someone's already taken it, because there's nothing there."

"I swear to all that is holy Elijah." Adriana hissed up at her husband. "If I find out that the little rat has been alive all this time, then I will personally kill her and serve her whiny arse in the next soup. Do you understand me?"

"There has to be another way." Elijah said, looking between the two witches.

"There is no other way."

"Unless you know of some super-powerful dead witch whose bones were never consecrated, it's over." Sophie nodded, agreeing with Sabine.

"There is someone else actually; our mother." Elijah smiled in realisation.

"It's taken one thousand years, but you've finally gone mad. Our own mother?" Rebekah scoffed, when they all gathered in the living room later that day.

"Trust me honey, he went mad along time before this." Adriana sighed, sinking further into her seat. "It's only just beginning to show."

"Yes, our beloved mother, who Niklaus has affectionately placed in a coffin in his basement; not daggered, but quite dead."

"Well, she did try to kill us all." Klaus smirked.

"What is it with you and coffins?" Adriana asked, turning her head to look at Klaus.

"Oh, shut up Adriana."

"No."

"Well, I say we put her to use and put her to rest once and for all." Elijah carried on. "Now if we bury our mother on land owned by one of her descendants, she becomes a New Orleans witch, and we, as her family, share in that ancestral magic."

"We're vampires, Elijah." Rebekah said bluntly. "We can't practice magic. Or own property, for that matter."

"I own property." Adriana pointed out, raising her hand. "Albeit, anyone can walk in, but I do own it."

"Yes." Elijah nodded, gesturing to Adriana. "With regard to practicing magic, we have Sophie and Sabine for that. "And, as for owning property, not all of our mother's descendants are dead..."

"The baby." Klaus answered in surprise.

"You can't be serious." Adriana stated, shooting to sit up straight.

"The baby." Elijah confirmed. "The parish Tax Assessor's office is just steps outside of the Quarter. Hayley now holds the title to the plantation. So, if we bury our mother there, and we consecrate those grounds, we can finish the Harvest ritual."

"You're a bit of a mad genius, Elijah." Klaus grinned. "Count me in."

"Don't encourage him." Adriana squeaked, glancing between her husband and brother-in-law at a rapid speed.

"Am I the only one thinking?" Rebekah scoffed. "Our mother was the most powerful witch in history. If we bury her, we hand that power to our enemies to use against us."

"Given our circumstances, I hardly see that we have a choice, Rebekah." Elijah stated.

"I don't know why I bother. You two will just do what you want anyway." Rebekah sighed.

"No." Elijah contradicted. "Our decision must be unanimous."

"This is not a democracy."

"You're quite right. This is family." Elijah stopped talking when rain started to lash at the window. "Water. The next sign's begun. Rebekah?"

"Kill a demon today, face the devil tomorrow. Count me in." Rebekah nodded.

"Adriana?" Elijah asked turning towards his wife.

Adriana sighed, standing up and brushing her hand across the window.

"At this point, I've got little left to lose." She smiled softly and turning to her husband. "Time to wreak some Mikaelson havoc."

"Well, this is no family reunion without our mother. I'll fetch her." Klaus smirked, rising from his chair.

"It's raining, it's pouring. The old man is snoring. He went to bed, and bumped his head, and couldn't get up in the morning." Adriana sang to herself, rocking back and forth under her heels, her black coat blending in with Elijahs as they linked arms and he held the umbrella.

"Adriana, my lovely wife, if you don't stop being so childish about this matter, I will personally kick you out into the rain." Elijah muttered down to her as Rebekah approached them, standing with Klaus and Hayley under a large black umbrella.

"Calm down, I'm only trying to lighten the mood." Adriana whispered back.

"Did you find them?" Klaus asked his sister. "Will he bring her?"

"He'll bring her." Rebekah said solemnly.

"Are you ready to do this?" Father Kieran asked them all.

"Always and forever." Klaus nodded, taking a dagger out and slicing open his hand, the blood dripping over Esther's grave.

He handed it to Rebekah, who repeated the process, who passed it to Hayley who was stepping in for the baby. She passed it to Elijah who quickly sliced his hand open and let it drip into the grave, Adriana then reluctantly took it from him and sliced her hand open and sneered at the crimson blood that left her hand and stained the coffin. Father Kieran took the knife off her and threw it into the grave as well.

"It's done." The priest nodded.

"Remind me again why I had to do that." Adriana said, quickly hurrying back under the umbrella.

"Blood binding, remember?" Elijah answered simply.

"I knew that was a bad idea." Adriana muttered, leaning into him for a faint sense of warmth.

Everyone gathered at the cemetery, waiting for Marcel and Davina to arrive, when flames started erupting at the entrance way, making Adriana stumble back.

"Fire." Sophie stated, turning to the alter.

After a short while, Marcel appeared with Davina in his arms, flames literally licking at his heels as he set her down near the alter, Sophie holding a ceremonial dagger over the fire before approaching Davina.

"Do you believe in the harvest?" Sophie asked the young girl, the blade still in hand.

"Wait, what." Adriana breathed out, snapping her head away from the flames and stepping forward slightly. "What's going on? Elijah, what haven't you told me?"

"You didn't tell her?" Marcel growled at Elijah.

"I believe." Davina nodded nervously.

Sophie raised the blade, and slit Davinas throat with it, Adrianas muffled cry sounding out as Elijah slowly backed her away from the alter.

"After the Harvest comes the Reaping." Adriana faintly heard Sophie say as she buried her face into Elijahs shoulder, not wanting to see Davinas dead body. "Their sacrifices made and accepted. We call upon our Elders to resurrect the chosen ones." The cemetery was filled with a deathly silence, Adriana slowly raising her head to stare at Sophie. "We call upon our Elders to resurrect the chosen ones..." Sophie trailed off, becoming flustered as tears grew in her eyes. "Resurrect your chosen ones... Please? I beg... No!"

"You bitch!" Adriana suddenly howled, flashing away Elijah and shoving a sobbing Sophie across the cemetery. "That was my baby, you blast ended skank. You just murdered my child, like she was just some sacrificial lamb! Get out of my sight. I'm giving you one chance to run, because if I ever see you again, you'll pray to whatever God you had that you never met me!"

Adrianas knees buckled in on themselves as she collapsed before the alter, sobbing at the loss of her child.

"Oh, my baby." Adriana sobbed, resting Davinas head on her knees. "I'm so sorry, Cienna. I'm so, so, so sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't there, I'm sorry you died not knowing how much I love you. Oh, little Cienna, I'm so sorry."

Rain started to fall from the sky, mixing Adrianas tears with rain, and all Elijah and anyone could do was watch as a mother weeped the loss of her child.

"Damn you." Adriana shouted at the top of her voice, tilting her head towards the sky. "Damn you all to the pits of hell! Why? Why me? Why not someone else's child? I want my baby back! Please, I want my light back. That's all I want!"

She screamed until her voice turned raw, her head slumping forwards as she rocked the dead body back and forth, tears dripping down her face.

"It's raining, it's pouring." Adriana sang under her breath. "Being dead never gets boring. Bang your head, or break your neck. Being dead never gets boring..."


	10. A Mothers Love

**AN: Hello! Yeah, prepare for craziness in this chapter... Adrianas not apart of the main plot in this episode as I just can't see her bothering to leave the house after her daughters death. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **A Mothers Love**

* * *

 **In which they play a dangerous game**

* * *

Adriana Mafiay did not believe in funerals.

However, she did believe in mourning.

And revenge.

"Elijah." Rebekah growled, almost breaking her brothers bedroom door door with her viscous knocking. "Elijah, you've get to come out here now, your wife has officially gone crazy."

With a deep sigh, Elijah left his room and followed his sister down the hall.

He had blocked out Adrianas wails all night when they had finally managed to drag her away from Davinas dead body, his wife kicking, biting and screeching all the way back.

A sharp scream rang down the corridor, the sound of shuffling and glass shaking following soon after.

"Let go of me." Adriana shouted, she and Klaus coming into view as the hybrid dragged her away from Davinas bedroom doorway. "Let me go, right now Niklaus!"

"You were trying to set fire to the whole house." Klaus snapped back, letting go of Adriana and shoving her to the floor.

"My baby." Adriana wailed for the fifth hundredth time that day. "My little light, you killed her! _Tu bastardo!_ I wanted my baby back, but no; you just had to go and kill her!"

"Adriana-" Elijah tried to implore, kneeling down next to the crying women.

"Oh, don't you start." Adriana snarled, lunging at Elijah and knocking him to his back. "Murderer! You killed my baby, you killed both of my children, this family has torn apart mine."

"Both?" Hayley muttered to Rebekah, stopping next to the blonde Mikaelson. "I thought Adriana only had one child?"

"Kol." Rebekah replied gravely, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Kol!" Adriana sobbed, bringing her knees up to her chin and letting the tears race down her cheeks. "I raised that boy like my own son, I protected him when you lot wouldn't, I mourned him when you didn't. I'm still mourning, you disgrace, you didn't even mourn your own brother. Your own brother! I did! I mourned him! I mourned him because he was the child I never got to have."

She was growling by the end of her speech, latching onto Elijah and holding him down by his shirt, screaming and growling right in his face.

"And then we have Cienna- Davina, whatever you want to call her." Adriana sneered, pushing herself off of Elijah and snarling at how all five of them just stared at her. "You murdered her! You knew that the witch-bitch was going to slit her throat, yet none of you thought it would be a good idea to inform me. None of you but Marcel, our supposed enemy! You lot murdered my daughter, the only scrap of a bloodline I had left, and here you all are, just standing there like she was just merely a peice of dirt you could easily forget about. That was my daughter you sacrificed like a pig. My daughter!"

Adriana stepped backwards eyeing down each and everyone of them before setting her venomous eyes on Elijah.

"And you..." She trailed off, Elijah meeting her steely glare with one of his own. "I told you a long time ago that a maids loyalty is one of the best things you could find, but you know the one thing better than that?"

Adriana laughed bitterly when he didn't answer.

"A mothers love for her children, blood related or not." She spat at them all stepping backwards so that the shadows of the hallway almost engulfed her. "You, every single when off you, can go to the dark pits of hell. I may not be able to kill you, or even run away, but I can damn you all to the black pits of hell."

"I'll see you there then, wife." Elijah growled back, casually stepping forward and straightening out his white shirt, this situation just another common occurrence to him.

"Oh, but husband, I already have my place in hell reserved, little warrior." Adriana smirked dangerously, a bitter cackle bouncing of the walls as she fully stepped into the shadows. "I do believe it's called a throne."

Elijah growled lowly, watching his wife through the shadows as she walked away.

"You want to play this game, gypsy girl?" Elijah hummed, calmly spinning on his heel and heading in the opposite direction of Adriana. "Fine, I'll play. Game on, sweetheart, we both know I've never lost."

"Do me a favour, love." Klaus stated, stepping next to a confused Hayley as they both watched Elijah stride down the corridor. "Stay away from both of them, it's a dangerous game they play."

Yes, it is a dangerous game they play.

It's a dark game, one a mere human wouldn't get a day through.

It's a game of wit, skill, and perseverance.

Whatever you do, there's only one rule in their game, only one rule you have to abide by.

Don't fall in love.

Don't fall in love with either of them.

Elijah killed for his wife, tortured millions if anyone made her cry, he would walk into a full city and paint the whole place red if it meant he could kill every single person Adriana had an affair with.

Adriana, however, wasn't as direct in her approach, she gently drove each and every mistress insane with her twisted silver web of words. She dragged them to the very summit of madness, and pushed them of the edge with a smile.

You don't separate them, you can never truly cut off the twisted bond Elijah and Adriana shared, you may blow off a few leaves, or maybe even snap off a feeble twig, but the tree itself is always fully intact.

 _Adriana whirled around, easily slicing three long scratches down Elijahs cheek. The clean slices healed instantly as Elijahs stare grew cold._

 _He didn't strike back, just stared at her as she stepped away from him._

 _"Let's play a game, Adriana." He stated instead, raising the glass of scotch to his lips and tipping it all back before speaking again. "Here's how it goes, you can do anything, be with anyone, but you always return here. You can do anything, drag anyone into our game, but the first one that falls in love loses."_

 _That's the problem with their game, there never truly is a winner, neither will admit it._

 _Nearly five hundred years since that faithful night, they snap, they drag, they climb, and they fall._

 _Pause._

 _Rewind._

 _Repeat._

 _That's the problem, they never truly stopped playing their dangerous game._

"Why are you drinking?" Adriana asked Marcel later that day, dead roses decorating her hair, black lace gloves on her fingers, and a black floor length dress ghosting around her feet with every step she took. "It's not as if you're going to find an elixir of life once you drain the whole of New Orleans of its alcohol."

"I can try." Marcel muttered gruffly, throwing back the burning liquid once more. "Heard you went ballistic on everyone last night. What happened?"

"I tried to set her room on fire." Adriana hummed, tilting her head to the side as she watched him. "Klaus thought it would be a fire hazard. Like I care, the only person in this house that could get hurt is the wolf, and I hold no compassionate feelings towards her."

"Adriana Mafiay," Marcel muttered, a small smile flashing on his face before disappearing. "Have I ever mentioned that you're the best woman I know?"

"It's always nice to be reminded."

A soft pause fell upon the two, Adriana calmly sitting down, and curling her legs behind her.

"I miss her." Adriana finally breathed out staring at her hands, tears welling in her eyes. "I want my baby back."

"Me too, Adri." Marcel replied, wrapping a hand around her waist and letting her rest a head on his shoulder. "Me too."

"Ugh, is this what's it's come to?" Klaus' voice filled both of their ears, Adriana standing to face him, Marcel taking another long sip of his drink. "I bear the full weight of our kingdom while you two pout like children."

"You wanted to be king." Marcel dismissed, Adriana watching them both carefully. "Besides, you look like you got it covered."

"If the men see you shirk your duties, they're likely to do the same." Klaus carried on, unfazed by Adrianas critical stare.

"I told you, I am not in the mood for vampire hijinks."

"No." Klaus huffed, rolling his eyes slightly. "You'd rather sit wallowing in sorrow for your lost little friend."

Adriana stepped forward with a growl, narrowing her eyes at Klaus

 _"Don't_ push me right now." Marcel hissed, leaping to his feet and pointing a finger at the Mikaelson brother.

"I am sorry Davina is gone, okay? I'm sorry. But this mournful attitude is unworthy of you, and it's boring to me.

"No, your not." Adriana contradicted, speaking up as she stepped forward once more. "You don't know what it feels like to lose a child Niklaus, and I don't think you truly know what it truly feels like to lose anybody. Your family may go around spewing whatever you may, but you have all closed yourselves off so much that you can't feel loss. Mourning. Come back and beg for our forgiveness when you know what your talking about."

Her words were calm, opposing all her screaming she had done at dawn.

"Hey, guys, we got a problem." Diego stepped in, cutting off whatever reply Klaus had in mind.

"Stay here, Adriana." Marcel stated, when Adriana moved to go with them. "Please, you're pratically the only family I have left."

Adriana nodded solemnly, sitting back down in her chair and watching them go.

"And off the men go." She hummed, fixing a dead rose back into her bun. "Will they come back, no one knows..."

"Someone _will_ die for this." Klaus stated, everyone having gathered in the courtyard.

Adriana had been dragged there.

"Remarkably, I don't disagree." Elijah nodded, Adriana rolling her eyes from where she stood next to him. "However, I would like to know where they learned such dark magic."

"I would like to know why I'm here." Adriana snapped at him, crossing her arms over her black dress. "Guess we don't always get what we want."

"I had hoped never to see that symbol again." Klaus muttered. "I recall it is the signature of a fool who once stood against us."

"Clearly, some upstart witch is salvaging old tricks." Elijah waved off easily.

"I don't know, and I don't care." Adriana snarled. "Someone just kill them already and be done with it, I don't see the point in this meeting."

"Thank you for your input Adriana, it was not needed." Elijah sighed, looking down a his wife.

"You know what else wasn't needed? You slicing my daughters throat."

"I thought you were over that already."

"Over it? Over it?" Adriana hissed like a caged animal. "Oh, I am so far away from over it, it isn't even funny."

"You know what gypsy girl, I'm not really seeing the point in you being her either."

"Well, what do you know, you actually do have a few brain cells up ther-"

"For once, Adri is right." Klaus said, cutting her off and turning to Diego. "Diego, when night falls, I want you to gather every vampire in the Quarter. Get me the head of whoever did this and put it on a stick."

"Yeah. That's gonna be a problem." Diego sighed, shuffling on his feet slightly. "Everyone is freaked out, man. We haven't had witches killing vampires in a long time. Marcel made sure of that."

"Marcel has run off like a scared child." Adriana snapped her teeth at him angrily, Elijah growling at her in defence. "You lot are left with me. Now, who of you will fight to defend our home?" Silence. "Not a single one of you will stand with me, so afraid are you of this new threat? You should know better. I'll handle this myself."

With that Klaus stormed off, Adriana and Elijah tilting there heads in sync as they watched him go.

"He's going to get himself killed." Adriana determined, folding her hands infront of her.

"Let us hope he doesn't."

"Why are you still talking to me?" Adriana snarled at him, flashing an icy glare in his direction before disappearing with a twirl of her dress.

Adriana sat alone on Davinas bed, threading a lighter through her black painted nails as she lifted a beautifully detailed drawing of a flower up to eye level, casually raising the lighter to the paper, watching the flames greedily eat away at the paper with a sad smile. The burns on the tip of her fingers healing instantly.

Adriana growled at her fingers, watching the burn heal with a loathing stare.

She could heal her self instantly, compel people to do whatever she wished, heal with just a small drop of blood.

Yet she couldn't save her own daughter.

Pathetic.

She angrily snatched up another drawing of some herb and set the flickering flame from the lighter on the edge of the paper, not even jumping when the door slammed open.

"What are you doing?" Hayley screamed, pulling Adriana from the bed. "We need those."

Adrianas head snapped to the side, Hayley's harsh slap not even stinging for a second. The vampire slowly turned her head back to the wolf, raising a hand to touch her cheek.

"Get out." Adriana whispered, her glare staring right through to Hayley's soul. "I said, get out!"

"You can't just set fire to those drawings." Hayley shouted back, gesturing to the pile of sketches on the bed. "I need them."

"Need them for what?" Adriana scoffed, letting her hand fall to the ground and rolling her eyes. "To snatch my husband back into your web? What, is little mistress upset she doesn't have everyone eating out of the palms of her hands? Get over it, honey."

"Look, Adriana." Hayley hissed, trying, and failing, to match Adrianas glare. "You miss your daughter, I get it. But now your just being pathetic, this is ridiculous."

"Look, Hayley." Adriana mocked with a sneer, a single hand snatching out and holding Hayley on the wall by her neck. "I don't know what's happening between you and my husband right now, frankly I don't care. I lost my own child yesterday, you don't know how that feels? Well, perhaps I should make you feels it..."

Adriana trailed off, glancing down at the wolfs stomach with an evil glint in her eyes.

"But I wont." Adriana continued with a hiss, carelessly throwing Hayley to the other side of the room. "I'm not you, I didn't murder someone else's child."

"Leave her alone, Adriana." A strong voice rang out, Elijah stepping into the room with his hands shoved into his pockets. "She means no harm."

"Get out." Adriana commanded once more, daintily sitting back on the bed and picking up her lighter. "Neither of you are welcome here."

"You're crazy." Hayley muttered, Elijah flashing infront of her when Adriana snapped up from the bed.

"We're going." Elijah snapped at his wife, pulling Hayley up by her forearm.

Adrina flicked on the lighter with a soft smile, watching the flame dance before her eyes.

"Adriana, what are you doing?" Hayley asked, Elijah turning on his heel to watch his wife with a critical eye. "Adriana-NO!"

The lighter slipped from Adrianas fingers and landed on the pile of paper before Elijah had the time to react.

"Whoops." Adriana blinked, watching as the flames burned away every scrap of paper there was and begin to eat away at the bed. "Was I not meant to do that? Oh well, too late now."

Adriana sat down beside the burning bed, soft laughter escaping her lips as the bed was engulfed in flames and Elijah dragged Hayley out of the room.

 _"There he is." Klaus greeted Marcel, raising his drink as he approached the three of them. "Our war hero, triumphantly returned. Oh, good to have you back, Marcellus. Welcome home."_

 _"The prodigal son has finally learned to hold his liquor." Elijah laughed, Adriana grinning at Marcel in joy._

 _"The Army'll do that to you." Marcel shrugged off, taking another sip of his drink._

 _"Well, it's good to have you back." Elijah nodded, glancing down at his wife. "Niklaus and Adriana were beside themselves in your absence. Adriana was moping around as if you had actually died."_

 _"Well, he bloody well could have." Adriana smiled, briefly hugging Marcel before returning to her husband. "I'm so glad you're okay littlest warrior, your letters gave me a great peace of mind."_

 _"Enough Adri, the boy is not a child anymore." Klaus laughed. "Now that you are here, perhaps you could help settle an argument. You see, you've traded a war abroad for one here in the Quarter. Some rogue witch wants a piece of the city we built, and Elijah, for reasons beyond my comprehension, insists that negotiation is our best recourse."_

 _"While me and Klaus both agree it would be easier just to slit their throats." Adriana continued, tapping a long pink painted on her glass. "But my dear husband, has decided it's better to talk to them."_

 _Elijah laughed and nodded as Adriana took another sip of her wine._

 _"On the topic of your failed comprehension, as a soldier, Marcel has seen not only how small the world has become and how fast news can travel, but also the very horrors of war itself. Surely, Marcel would agree with me."_

 _"The best way for us to defend our home is by exercising discretion." Elijah stressed, having gone over his reasons a thousand times by now._

 _"Boring." Adriana drawled out._

 _"So who's the witch you want to kill?" Marcel said, smiling at Adrianas flippiant attitude to the whole situation._

 _"His name is Papa Tunde." Klaus informed. "I think he's a charlatan."_

 _"Well, Marcel shall be able to decide that for himself." Elijah sighed, gesturing to the doors as Papa Tunde entered. "You invited him here."_

 _"Of course. We're not savages, are we?" Klaus asked, walking away to greet the witch._

 _"That is up for debate." Adriana muttered, taking a sip of her drink before passing the glass to Elijah. "Hold this darling, time to play house wife."_

 _A charming, sweet smile plastered itself on Adrianas face, the brunette elegantly striding over to the two men._

 _ **"** Thank you for accepting our invitation, and welcome." Klaus greeted, shaking Papa Tunde's hand as Adriana expertly cut in._

 _"I'm Adriana Mikaelson, I see you have already met my brother in law, Niklaus." The female smiled, her eyes warm and genuine to anyone who didn't know her well enough. "I am the mistress of this household, wife of the eldest brother. Please, if you need anything, anything at all during this event. Don't think twice about coming to inform me."_

 _"Pleasure before business, then." Tunde smiled, kissing the female vampires hand in greeting._

 _"Of course." Adriana smiled delicately, exchanging a suspicious look with Klaus when the witches back was turned. "I'll go and introduce you to everybody_. _"_

 _"That would be wonderful, Mrs Mikaelson." Papa Tunde nodded._

 _"Please," Adriana laughed. "Call me Adriana, almost everyone does."_

"It seems I missed quite the event." Adriana giggled, the burns on her hands and feet closing and fading away. Nothing left from her dance with fire. "What a shame, did anyone die?"

"You missed it all?" Marcel grinned, wrapping an arm around Adrianas waist as they all gathered in the compound. "Why, do I have some stories to tell you. What have you been doing this whole time?"

"Oh, just setting somethings on fire, messing with a wolfs head, a normal day really." Adriana shrugged, threading the lighter through her fingers.

"Well, it seems you've had a much more interesting day than me." Marcel chuckled, both of them turning to watch Klaus' speech.

"Not long ago, you all united against me." The original started. "You failed. Since then, in my benevolence, I have wiped the slate clean. Yet, it seems clear you think that I am the one who needs to earn your respect, your loyalty. You're mistaken. It is you who must prove yourselves to me. Our community is under attack. I require soldiers. I need warriors, not cowards. Each of you has a decision to make. You either fight alongside me or you leave now."

"We don't owe you anything." Thierry spoke up. "If staying in the Quarter means living under your rule, I'd just as soon get the hell out."

Adriana watched with a raised eyebrow as a handful join Thierry and leave the compound.

"Hello bitchy witchy." Adriana drawled out, passing Sophie in the corridor. "Fancy seeing you here today."

Sophie opened her mouth to say something, but the sharp movement of Adrianas eyes made her shut it again.

"Get out of my sight before I kill you in the most painful way possible." The Original wife stated calmly. "I'm not looking to kill you, in fact, I'm looking for my husband. Have you seen him?"

"No." Sophie answered shakily, deciding not to underestimate the nine hundred year old vampire.

"Haven't you? What a shame, no ones seen him." Adriana hummed, walking away dragging a fire extinguisher and a lighter as she walked. "What are you staring at? Move along."

"Where are you going Adriana?" Elijah sighed, appearing in the hallway several milli seconds later. "In fact, what are you even doing?"

"I'm going to set stuff on fire." Adriana smirked, continuing on her way to Davinas room.

Adriana Mafiay was many things. A wife, a killer, a saviour, a traitor.

But, that one night, as she sat in what used to be Davinas room, the bed nothing but scraps of burnt wood, she was only one thing,

Davinas mother.

Adriana Mafiay repositioned the crown of dead roses on her head and glanced at the large cardboard box of clothes and pictures she had set aside to be buried with the body.

Everything else she had thrown onto the pyre to be burnt with the rest of this cursed room.

In one hand rested her lighter, in the other rested an aged wooden charm, threaded on a leather string.

An intricate design of a dagger was engraved on the charm, the name Mafiay on a ribbon encircled around it.

It had been handed down from each Mafiay woman.

It had been the only thing Adriana had gotten from her mother before the slave owner snatched her away.

Adriana had kept it in a ruby box for nine hundred years, shielding it away from any harm.

The necklace was a sign of trust and acceptance to the Mafiay, and once the whole ordeal with New Orleans was over, she was going to have given it to Davina.

But she couldn't now, for the obvious reasons.

"I'm so sorry baby girl." Adriana sobbed, tightening her grip on the charm. "I'm so so sorry, I'm sorry O couldn't protect you, and I'm sorry I couldn't stop her. I wont forget you, I promise, that's the problem with being a Mafiay. We wouldn't even dream about forgetting the ones we love. I'm so sorry little light, I love you."

With tears streaming down her face, Adriana flicked on the lighter and dropped it into the fire, the charm following shortly after, the aged wood quickly catching aflame.

"But this is goodbye."


	11. A Box Full Of Darkness

**AN: Okay, so maybe I'm not the best person to keep promises regarding updates, but this chapter was extremely hard to write. Plus, I've been ill, which has not helped. Anyway, this chapter is shorter than the rest due to all of those reasons. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **A Box Full Of Darkness**

* * *

 **In which Adriana goes on a witch hunt**

* * *

Adriana snarled at the body of Papa Tunde, a heeled foot kicking his head to make sure he was dead. He hair was up in a high ponytail, the waterfall of brown not hindering her eyesight,

"Can I get you anything, brother?" Klaus asked sarcastically. "A magnifying glass? A pipe, perhaps?"

"You have a theory you'd like to share with us, Niklaus?" Elijah huffed, standing up from his kneeling position next to the body.

"Back in the day, the witches wanted to send a threat, they'd just kill a chicken and leave it on your doorstep." Marcel informed them all, taking his eyes off the corpse.

"How boring." Adriana muttered, tilting her head to the side as she kicked the body again. "What happened to the severed head of a loved one? That's much more direct."

"It's rather a large and ominous head, wouldn't you say Adriana?" Elijah asked, turning to his wife.

Adriana just stared at him coldly, pursing her lips into a thin line.

"Papa Tunde defeated Rebekah with ease, almost got the two of us as well." Klaus stated, examining the body. "If he was supposed to be the prize fighter, why leave him for dead in our front yard?"

"Who knows." Adriana shrugged, folding her arms infront of her chest. "Who cares. All this means is that we have a bigger, more powerful meat sack on our hands. Can I go now?"

"Well, don't you all look cheery." Rebekah joked, joining the four of them. "Listen to this- A girl literally exploded from a grave today as Sabine was giving a tour of the city of the dead. It was Monique Deveraux."

"What?"

"The tourists thought it was part of the show, but the witches are celebrating like it's some kind of bloody miracle." Rebekah huffed.

"Maybe it is." Marcel stated, stepping forward slightly. "They think that all hope is lost, but now suddenly a Harvest girl is resurrected. This is how we're gonna get Davina back- kill the witch who took her place."

"See Elijah." Adriana hissed, turning to her husband as her rolled his eyes at her. "Marcel is actually thinking of productive ways of bringing my daughter back, maybe you should start taking notes."

"I have a theory about who one of them could be." Hayley said, entering the room. "Celeste. I mean, it's got to be. Davina was trying to tell us, she was drawing pictures of Celeste. She was warning us that a great evil is coming."

"I knew it!"

All eyes snapped to Adriana, the shriek followed instantly by a maddening laugh.

"I knew it." The wife laughed, a cold fire lighting in her eyes as she turned to her partner. "See little warrior, I am always right, no? I told you that Celeste was the most conniving, manipulative, drenched rat there ever was. And did you believe me? No, you didn't. But I was right!"

"That is enough Adriana." Elijah snapped back at her. "You've proven your point."

Adriana just grinned like a cheshire cat, reaching behind her and ripping the hair band from her hair as she walked towards the door.

"Where you going?" Elijah called after here, no one else moving to stop her.

"Witch hunting." Adriana called back, throwing him a cold smirk over he shoulder. "I've got a debt to settle, I'm going to be the one to call the shots on this rat. If you want something done properly, you've got to do it yourself."

Elijah growled lowly, but made no move to stop Adriana as she slipped through the door.

"First, Papa Tunde returns to settle old scores, now your murdered lover is back." Klaus told his brother, the door slamming loudly behind Adriana. "This isn't witches attacking vampires. They're declaring war on us."

"It's not too early for scotch, is it, with all the witchy shenanigans and subterfuge afoot?" Rebekah sighed, pouring herself a drink as she and Elijah talked in the study.

"It is entirely too early if one intends to drive, yes." Elijah contradicted.

"Funny, I don't have any plans to go anywhere." Rebekah shrugged, taking a sip of her drink." **"** She's not safe here. You have to take Hayley to the plantation house until this is over." He informed.

"Are you worried about Hayley, or whether or not you can trust me?" Rebekah demanded.

"It's precisely because I trust you that I'm asking you to do this."

"Here's a novel idea- why don't you let Hayley decide for herself?" Rebekah scoffed. "Why are you dictating her fate?"

"You know why."

"Then perhaps you should try fixing your own life before ruining someone else's." Rebekah pointed out, giving her elder brother a challenging stare.

"You've made no complaint about my marriage before Rebekah, why now?" Elijah asked, deflecting the subject off him.

"Your killing yourselves on the inside out." Rebekah explained, putting down her drink. "Please Elijah, just stop playing your game."

Elijahs stare became stone cold, the monster that resided within them all lashing out briefly.

"We'll stop playing when I win."

Adriana Angelo Mafiay-Mikaelson was having the time of her life.

She prowled through New Orleans with a cat like smirk on her face, analysing anyone that gave her even one passing look.

She was going to find that whore before Elijah was, that she was certain.

"Sabine." She pratically purred when her deep brown eyes landed on the witch. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you Adriana." The witch smiled hesitantly, weary around the nine hundred year old vampire with the aura of death. "How are you?"

"Oh, I'm perfect." Adriana drawled out, lazily dragging her eyes up and down Sabines figure. "Say, Sabine darling, have you seen any witches recently? You know, preferably ones that have the annoying habit of stealing another woman's husband?"

"I can't say I have."

"Really?" Adriana hummed, examining Sabines face carefully. "Why, what a shame..."

"Elijah." Sabine smiled gratefully, seeing the man walking towards them. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"My family needs an ally among the witches, and you've helped us in the past." Elijah said, getting straight to the point. "Perhaps together we can avoid an unnecessary conflict."

"They may be willing to make a deal, if it were with the noble Elijah. But there will never be any peace at long as it involves Klaus." Sabine stated confidently.

"Is that what all this is about?" Elijah asked her, glancing at Adriana over Sabines shoulder. "You want my brother out of town?"

"I'm just telling you how they feel." Sabine shrugged. "My people are scared, they're desperate, but they're not dumb. You have a niece on the way. It stands to reason you'd be willing to discuss how to run him out of the city."

"Let's walk together." Elijah offered, Adriana walking up to stand next to him. "You can take me on one of your famous tours."

Elijah gave Adriana a pointed look as she hissed at him, each daring the other to take the first step.

Adriana huffed like a child after several dragged out seconds, her heels clicking on the tarmac as she followed Celeste through the quarter.

"So, this next part of town is one of the few areas where any of the original French architecture remains. The most of the buildings were destroyed in the 1700s when the city burned for the first time." She turned back to them, noticing how they hadn't said anything in a while. "Am I putting you both to sleep?"

"Yes." Adriana deadpanned, a bored expression on her face as she picked at her black painted nails.

"As surprising as you might find this, it's not every day that someone asks you to betray your own brother... _Celeste_." Elijah hummed, Adriana letting out a long snarl at the woman.

"How did you know?" Said Celeste, an impressed look crawling out her face.

"As Davina was drawing your likeness, I dared to imagine that your presence was near." Elijah told her, Adriana stealthily sinking into the shadows around them. "And when Sophie discovered that there was no magic in your remains, I wondered- could you have possibly cheated death by using your power to place your essence into the body of another? And if so, then who? And then, I recalled the lovely visions of my brother's child precipitated the death of the last Elder within your coven. Ensuring that the Harvest ritual could not be completed- unless you were to control it. You have been playing a very long game, indeed. But to what end?"

"Oh, Elijah, my lost love..." Celeste trailed off, kissing him on the lips and watching how he quickly became weak. "After all this time, don't you understand? I died because of Klaus. And even after all his vindictive lies about witches led to my death, you stood by him. All because of your vow, 'always and forever.'"

"What have you done to me?" Elijah managed to slur out.

"Oh, it's a simple enchantment. You needn't worry. I'm not here to kill you, Elijah, I'm here to teach you the error of your ways. 'Always and forever' was the greatest mistake of your life." Celeste stated, Elijah falling unconscious by her feet.

"As entertaining as that was..." Adriana trailed off, stepping out of the shadows and facing Celeste. "Your lipstick trick isn't travelling through to me, why?"

"Blocking your connection by the bracelet temporarily is easy for me." Celeste waved off. "We need to talk."

"You're a tramp." Adriana said bluntly. "That is literally the only thing you can say to me."

"Now don't be harsh." Celeste smiled, clicking her tongue as the other woman rolled her eyes. "Adriana Mafiay, your supposed to be dead."

"What the hell are you on about?" Adriana asked, her full attention on Celeste. "Why does every witch I meet keep saying that?"

"The swan trying desperately to fly away, only to be chained down by its heart..." Celeste trailed off. "Who are you Adriana Mafiay?"

"I'm no one really." Adriana answered, tilting her head to the side. "A man I knew once gave me a box full off darkness, it took me forever to find out it was a gift."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"Yes it does." Adriana smiled sereenly, raising a hand to her temple when a dizzy spell fell over her.

"That'd be the connection." Celeste hummed, watching Adriana fall down next to Elijah. "Sleep tight, Adriana."

"Whore." Adriana spat at her with the last scrap of energy she had.

"You poisoned me with a kiss." Elijah stated coldly a few minutes later, still weakened by the spell. "At least you haven't lost your sense of irony."

"We may have time for more." Celeste smiled slyly. "But first, I'm going to cure you of your greatest flaw- this absurd devotion to your lunatic family, and your even crazier wife."

"Your anger is with me. Now, if you have come here seeking revenge–"

"Oh, I'll have my revenge." Celeste said, cutting him off. "Starting with Klaus. He is gonna know pain and torment like he's never felt before. Unless you choose to save him, of course. But then that leaves Rebekah, your tragic sister. She's about to find herself in quite the predicament. You could save her. But then that leaves Hayley in jeopardy."

Elijah growled lowly, looking around for Adriana, not even able to feel their connection through the bracelet.

"What have you done with my wife Celeste?"

Celeste's smile grew even colder.

"Well, even if you abandoned the other three, you still wouldn't be able to save her." Celeste purred, gesturing in the direction of the sea. "Who knew little Adriana was scared of drowning? Too bad she wont be able to get out of that coffin..."

"No..." Elijah trailed off. "No, no, no..."

"Who's it gonna be Elijah?" Celeste hummed. "One of your siblings, the women you've come to care for, or the other half of your unit?"

 _Adriana Mafiay was a complicated woman to understand._

 _To understand, you had to go back to the beginning. Before Adriana Mafiay had ever even heard the name Elijah Mikaelson._

 _The story of Adriana Mafiay really starts in a small field of flowers with a man named Demetri Pravello._

 _A rose, a box full of darkness, and a baby._

 _Demetri Pravello was a powerful warlock, some whispered that he was a demigod with looks that rivalled the god Apollo._

 _Yet, while his beauty shone like the sun, his heart was black and rotten._

 _He left a trail of broken hearts and deceased lovers in his wake, and carried around a box full of darkness._

 _Once upon a time, a young servant girl named Adriana Mafiay was given a rose the colour of blood, a baby, and a box full of darkness, all by the same man._

 _"I'm so sorry, your highness." Adriana screamed out a frantic apology, having run into the man one warm summers day in the rose garden. "I'm so so so sorry, I was not looking were I was going. Here let me hel-"_

 _"It's alright." The blonde huffed, picking himself up from the mint grass coloured earth. "We all make mistakes."_

 _He gave her a rose the color of blood that day, under the burning sun of Italy, surrounded by a million white roses the color of snow._

 _She still couldn't fathom how he managed to find a single rose dipped in blood while the others were painted white._

 _It rained a thousand tears the day she told him._

 _"Get rid of it." He spat at her, thunder rumbling somewhere in the distance. "Or I will."_

 _"Please, I'm begging you." She screamed, stepping away from him and eyeing the dagger._

 _"You stubborn whore." He spat, staring into the depths of her soul. "Kill the child, I will not help you."_

 _"No." Adriana screamed scampering away from him. "Please, leave my child alone. I beg of you."_

 _"You say anything." Demetri snarled, stepping forward menacingly. "I will personally kill your child, as you watch, then rip out your pretty little throat. Goodbye, my dark angel, may you rot in hell."_

 _He gave her two things that day: A baby and a box of darkness._

 _The baby was named Cienna, the only light Adriana had left._

 _And a box of darkness full of lies, secrets, and a trail of broken hearts._

 _Eventually, the light was snatched away and the box full of darkness grew._

 _She had only been seventeen._

Adriana Mafiay woke up gasping for breath, cold water flooding into the metal box.

"Oh come on." She whined, starting to bang at the top of the box, only to hiss and bring her hand when the skin started to blister. "Vervain. What do you know? The rat actually has some intelligence in that head of hers. Wonderful."

Water started to fill the coffin more rapidly, causing Adriana to pale rapidly as her face was slowly being submerged by murky water.

"Vampires can't drown." She started chanting under her breath. "Vampire can't can't dro-"

Her chant was cut off by a cry as the water completely filled the coffin.

 _There was a reason behind every single one of Adrianas fears._

 _Adriana Mafiay was many things._

 _A slave, a maid, a wife, a mother, a prisoner._

 _But, no matter what she was, Adriana Mafiay never feared anything without a legitimate reason._

 _The slave master was a cruel man, and his punishments were crueler._

 _One time, when Adriana was five, she accidentally mixed up the cutlery placement in the hall._

 _Her punishment; to be trapped in a barrel full of water for thirty minutes with only a small sliver of air left to breath._

 _She'd passed out a total of three times and nearly drowned to death._

 _The whole ordeal was traumatic on the five year old._

Adriana held her breath for a total of twenty minutes.

More out of practice and stubborness then anything.

But no one came.

No Elijah, no anybody.

It was like being buried alive all over again.

Adriana watched the large air bubbles escape her mouth with mild fascination, felt the water travel down her throat and fill her lungs.

With that single breath, Adriana Mafiay closed her eyes and drowned.

Drowned alone with her box of darkness.


	12. You'll Be Okay

**AN: My Christmas present to you all! *Shoves chapter in your face shyly* Sorry! This. Chapter. Was. So. Hard! Ugh! But every sentence we get one step closer to Red Door... Enjoy!**

* * *

 **You'll Be Okay**

* * *

 **In which living is the funniest thing**

* * *

It's a funny little thing, drowning.

You hear all these stories, hear all these people talking about their near death experiences, and roll your eyes at how ridiculous and fictional some of them sound.

It's another funny thing, dying.

People have debated death for centuries, the mortal and supernatural together.

In the end, everyone has to close their book, no matter how long it may take them to read it.

The funniest thing, however, in her opinion at the very least, is a hilarious little thing called living.

The gods play cards but fate plays chess, and you realise only too late that it's been playing with two queens all along.

We all have a beginning, we all have a story, and eventually we all have an end.

This is what Adriana Angelo Mafiay contemplated with her wavering consciousness.

Stupid Elijah, probably chose to save Hayley instead of her, _bastardo._

Witches, they could go rot in hell as well, maybe they could strike up a delightful conversation with Demetri while they were there, because Juno knows he was probably burning down there as well.

Good riddance.

 _Leaves are green, and also red and yellow._

 _Leaves fall and grow and flow with the wind._

 _Adriana Mafiay wasn't a leaf, she wasn't mortal, not anymore at least._

 _That was wishful thinking long left to the past._

 _She was the tree, immune to most things, having to withstand the harshness of the elements as they battered against her._

 _And she hated it._

 _"What have you done to me Elijah?" Adriana screeched, covered in dirt as she thought against Niklaus' restraining grip. "What, in the name of Jupiter, have you turned me into?"_

 _"Adriana, please, calm down." Elijah breathed, Rebekah watching them from a distance. "Gypsy girl, I need you to breath."_

 _Reluctantly, Adriana did as she was told, sucking in a deep breath, her own senses assaulting her broken mind once more._

 _She could see everything, hear every little critter around the forest, smell the group in the passing carriage miles away._

 _Hear the heartbeats, smell the liquid rushing through their veins._

 _ **Thirsty, starving, meal...**_

 _Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods._

 _What was wrong with her!_

 _"Little warrior..." Adriana breathed out, falling to her knees when Klaus let her go and stepped back. "What the hell have you done to me?"_

 _"I'm so sorry, Adriana." Elijah replied, kneeling down infront of her. "I'm so, so, so sorry."_

Several minutes later, the coffin door slammed open, water pouring out onto the street.

Adriana shot up, promptly, vomiting several gallons of sea water onto the pavement.

"You're okay, Adriana." A strong voice whispered soothingly, gently rubbing her back. "You're fine."

 _Strong arms wrapped around the crying woman, the life she had once known snatched away from her._

Adriana glanced up, coming face to face with her husband.

 _"Adriana." Elijah stated, looking straight into her eyes. "They're may have been a few things I haven't told you."_

"Little warrior..." She choked out, her soaked hair clinging to her cheeks, like a drowning man to a lifeline. "Tu idiota..."

 _"So, I'm a demon now." Adriana breathed out, wiping away her tears with a dry laugh. "I honestly do not know why I'm surprised."_

 _"I am sorry, gypsy girl." Elijah said, glancing at everywhere but her face._

 _"It's okay." Adriana smiled, gently moving his face so he looked her in the eyes. "I'm going to be okay."_

"You're okay, gypsy girl." Elijah muttered, wrapping his arms around her when she started sobbing into his shoulder. "You're going to be okay."

 _"Truly, Elijah, I'll be fine. I'm just a little shaken that's all."_

"You'll be fine, Adriana. You're just a a little shaken that's all."

 _"I promise."_

"I promise."

"Anything?" Elijah asked Marcel as he entered the courtyard.

"They're putting eyes and ears out everywhere. Daywalkers are working every contact we've got. Cops, dock workers, guys in the Treme... Word is out: anyone trying to earn favor with me gets a lifetime of it if they find them. We were lucky someone spotted Adri getting chucked into the sea."

"Good." Elijah nodded, taking in the information. "I need a pen and paper."

"Hey, am I taking orders from you now, or are we in this together?" Marcel stated, following after them.

 _"_ Pen and paper, Marcellus." Elijah growled out in frustration taking off his jacket and shirt. "Now!"

"I want her back just as much as you do, you know, the _both_ of them." Marcel sighed, going to fetch the supplies.

"Adriana!" Elijah called out. "Hayley!"

"Elijah! You're back. Did you find any..." She trailed off, staring at Elijah's bare chest and the names tattooed across it. "...thing? What is happening?"

"Please can you stop drooling over my husband?" Adriana stated flatly, her now dry hair bouncing behind her as she strutted into the room. "I'd rather not puke up my most recent meal. Please."

"I need you to make a list of these names." Elijah explained.

"I'm not gonna lie honey." Adriana said, tilting her head to the side and lazily reading over the names. "But that's slightly creepy, even by my standards."

"Sabine?" Hayley read aloud. "Elijah, what is this?"

"I believe they represent the names of the women Celeste inhabited for the past two centuries."

"It's called a Devinette." Marcel stated, walking back into the room with a pen and paper. "It's old school. Kind of a riddle. Witches use them to teach their kids. Solve it, and it disappears."

"Why?" Hayley asked, glancing at Marcel. "What's the point?"

"What's the point in you being here?" Adriana huffed, rolling her eyes at the wolf and sitting down in the nearby chair. "Personally, I think we would benefit more with you being dead."

"Adriana." Elijah warned, fighting to keep the small smirk off his face.

"It's just my personal opinion." She shrugged, crossing her legs and leaning back in her seat.

"Celeste forced me to make a choice between yourself and my siblings, and now she means to mock that choice, taunting me with a childish game." Elijah said through gritted teeth. "The longer the game, the more they suffer. To find Klaus and Rebekah, we need to solve this riddle. The solution lies somewhere in these names."

"The name next to Sabine... Annie La Fleur, she's the witch that was shunned from her coven just over a year ago." Marcel spoke up. "Never knew why, but I can find out."

"Yay." Adriana grinned, clapping her hands together. "Drowning, and a treasure hunt set up by a jealous mistress all in one day. Anyone would think it was Christmas."

"Annie was a good girl." A man explained to them once she, Elijah, and Marcel arrived in the village. "The witches did her wrong, shunning her like that- claiming she was doing dark magic. There's no way. But, they had proof. So, she just quit, and I can't really blame her for that. 'Cause once you've been shunned, what's the point in going on, you know?"

Adriana only looked down, humming slightly at the mans statement.

 _"Adriana Mafiay, you have disgraced this coven." The priestess spat at her, ripping the talisman off her neck and throwing it into the roaring fire._

 _"Madam, please-" Adriana begged, stepping back and resting a hand on her slightly swollen stomach._

 _"No, Adriana." The older woman snapped. "You have disgraced this coven, the spirits, and your family. You will find no help or shelter here."_

"Oh, you don't have to worry about a thing dear." Adriana gushed out, dragging the man by the collar of his shirt as they neared the 'Pit'. "We're just going to aske you some questions, and if you don't answer honestly, well- you'll just have to find out."

With a bright grin, she pushed open the door and threw the shaking man to the ground as the night walkers scuttled away from the daylight.

"Wh-what do you want from me?" The man stuttered obviously terrified, as Marcel threw him into the chair.

"Well, I assume you're familiar with this pigsty, quite appropriately known as the Pit." Elijah said, gesturing around him. "See, awkwardly enough, only weeks ago, a group of human beings just like yourself slaughtered many of the companions of the vampires that you see assembled before you here."

"You run the records room at City Hall." Marcel stated. "We're told the former Mayor kept a detailed record of the supernatural community. A ledger of names of witches, werewolves and vampires. Specifically, their death records. We need it."

"I-I don't know where it is." He said, shaking violently as several vampires moved within the shadows.

"I think we both know that's a fib." Elijah replied, closing the door a little to block the sunlight from the night walkers. "Anyone feeling hungry?"

"Okay, w-wait!" The human stuttered out. "They moved the records after the Mayor died. They're at the sacristy of St. Anne's Church."

"See? There, wasn't so difficult, now, was it?"

"Enjoy dinner boys." Adriana giggled, following Marcel out and standing in the open door.

"Wait!" The man shouted, scrambling up from his chair. "I need to get out of here too, I gave you the information you wanted."

"Oh, but honey." Adriana sighed, Elijah stopping to stand just behind her. "When did we ever say we were going to let you live? Have fun, play nice boys!"

With that, Adriana slammed the door of the pit closed, leaving the trembling human man alone with several bloodthirsty vampires.

"Marcel, here's another name from our list: Brynne Deveraux." Elijah said, Adriana looking up from the documents in her hands. "Says here she drowned herself some twenty years ago. Do you recognize the name?"

"Brynne?" Marcel parroted. "Yeah, yeah, we used to hang out. Knock around a bit."

Adriana openly gagged.

"You can spare us the details." Elijah said flatly, rolling his eyes slightly.

"She used to do some spells for me now and then." Marcel elaborated. "Girl had power. Cursed a whole pack of werewolves just because they were pissing me off. Speaking of, what do you think Klaus is gonna do when he finds out that you left him to suffer while you saved Hayley and her wolf friends?"

"What wolf friends?" Adriana asked, putting down the documenents.

"Let's avoid discussing matters that are not your concern, shall we, Marcellus?"

"Oh, come on, Elijah." Marcel huffed. "I got guys all over this city. You honestly think that I don't know that the Crescent wolves had a little family reunion out at the plantation last night? Thanks for letting the house burn, by the way. Good riddance! But my question is, what's Hayley doing with that bunch?"

"Marcel, I'm aware of your history with the city's wolves, and I assume you understand that if you lay a finger upon Hayley, it will be the last thing you do on this earth."

"I see I hit a nerve." Marcel chuckled lightly. "And just when we were getting along."

"Can we kill these wolves or not?" Adriana snapped, turning to Elijah. "That's what I want to know."

"No, Adriana." Elijah sighed. "We can't'

"How unfortunate..." Adriana sighed, picking at her newly painted nails.

"Every name upon my flesh signifies a witch who died by her own hand." Elijah said, closing the document he was holding. "All but one. Clara Summerlin."

"Ring any bells?" Marcel asked.

"None."

"Okay, well, if she didn't off herself, then how did she die?"

"Influenza Epidemic of 1919." Elijah said, pausing when all the names on his body vanished. "I suppose we have our answer, though I have no idea what it means."

"Hey, look, I found–" Hayley was typing on her laptop when they entered, Elijah cutting her off with a small gesture.

"You were right about the Deveraux witch." He stated, Adriana crossing her arms over her chest and watching Marcel with narrowed eyes as he entered the room.

"Find anything about Clara, the mystery witch?" Marcel asked.

"Not much. She was a nurse at the Fleur de Lis Sanitarium. Recognize her?" Hayley said, Adriana's heels giving out a rhythmic click when she walked over to look at the picture. "Top row, second from the right."

"No, I don't. Marcel?" Elijah paused when they all turned around to see the look on Marcel's face. "Marcel? Do I need to remind you that Niklaus and Rebekah are somewhere suffering horribly? If you know something, talk."

"The clock is ticking, littlest warrior." Adriana huffed, eyeing him dangerously when he didn't say anything.

"The Sanitarium." Marcel stated through gritted teeth. "That's where you'll find them."

"Are you sure? How do you know?"

"What is this, an interrogation?" Adriana scoffed, walking towards the door. "Let's go, we have people to save."

"I just know."

"How do you know?" Elijah pressed sternly.

"Not to burst everyone's bubble." Adriana cut in, raising one of her eyebrows. "But, you know, Klaus, Rebekah, being tortured horribly..."

"If I'm right, you need to know exactly what we're walking into." Marcel said, ignoring Adriana. "We did something, Rebekah and I... I think the witches are trying to use it against her. It was, uh... something that you're not gonna like."

 ** _Slap!_**

" _Tu bastardo!_ " Adriana hissed, her hand inches away from Marcels burning cheek. "I was happy, actually happy. _T-tu bastardo di dio!_ "

Marcels head snapped to the side, having finished explaining his story, the red mark taking a few second to disappear and the tiny cracks in his neck painfully sewing themselves back together.

If she had put anymore force into that blow, she would have ripped his head off.

"For the better part of a century, I have wondered how Father found us." Elijah started, unfazed by Adriana's sudden burst of violence. "What foolish mistake that we had made to destroy our time in the one place that we could finally call home. Did you know, I even blamed myself for a time, my own wife had to stop me from throwing myself into the Pacific Ocean. Do you know what that feels like Marcellus? To have that guilt eat you alive?"

"Elijah-"

"Oh for gods sake, will you shut your trap for one second woman!" Adriana snapped, turning on her heel to face the wolf, she too seething from Marcels story. "This is a family matter, a family may I remind you, you are not apart of. You're child sure, but not you. So, will you please; for Jupiters sake, shut up for five seconds!"

Hayley stepped away from the infuriated woman, her lips slightly parted as she stared at her.

"Niklaus treated you like a son." Elijah continued, ignoring Adriana's outburst.

"Rebekah. I loved her." Marcel tried to explain. "I still love her. All we ever wanted was to be together, but as long as Klaus was around, that was never gonna happen. But hey, I guess you wouldn't know anything about that, huh? I mean, your marriage is in shambles, it has been for what? Five centuries now? What do you know about love?"

"When Klaus learns the truth, there will be no end to his rage." Elijah growled out, the comment about his marriage pushing him closer to the edge. "I will not let my sister suffer that wrath."

"Then we need to get to them before he learns the truth."

"We should divide the building." Elijah stated, as they stood infront of the Sanatorium. "We'll start at one end, you at the other."

Marcel nodded, and ran off in the opposite direction they were walking in.

"Adriana, put that good nose of yours to the test and try to see if you can break through the other scents around this place."

"What am I, your own personal sniffer dog?" Adriana said, scrunching up her nose as the walked on. "You getting senile in your old age, little warrior?"

"I'm anything but senile, gypsy girl." Elijah growled at her, smirking slightly as he looked ahead. "Besides, your sense of smell makes up for your lack of height, does it not?"

Elijah ducked out the way when a rusting metal pipe was thrown at him, laughter bouncing off the walls.

"Nik, it was my idea to summon Mikael." Rebekah's plea filled Adriana's ears, making both of their head snap in the direction the sound came from. "If you're gonna hurt anyone, it should be me."

Elijah immediately set off, running towards the room where his sibling were about to kill each other.

"Oh, come on." Adriana groaned, following after him. "Why is everyone in this family so melodramatic?"

"Such loyalty to your beloved." Klaus hissed, lifting the blade to stab Rebekah in the heart. "You know, if you had offered me even a fraction of the same, I wouldn't have to do this."

Elijah was quick to intervene, shoving the blade into Klaus' chest, Adriana ripping Rebekah away from dagger before it could get any further towards her.

"Go." She shouted, pushing a teary eyed Rebekah towards Marcel. "We'll be fine here, but you have to run!"

"Go." Elijah snapped, stepping away from Klaus' temporarily disabled body. "Both of you. Run as far and as fast as you can. Run!"

They both left, Marcel pratically dragging Rebekah away from the scene.

"What are we going to do know?" Adriana mumbled into her heads, staring at Klaus' still body.

"I don't know, Adriana." Elijah sighed, wrapping an arm around her waist. "But, you're going to be okay. We're going to be okay, I promise."


	13. Learning Curve

**AN: Hello! Wow, I did enjoy writing this chapter. The first chapter of 2017! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Learning Curve**

* * *

 **In which we all wear masks**

* * *

" _Well this is a first." Klaus stated, looking around him. "Werewolves, vampires, witches and dirty cops. All happy as clams and drunk as stoats."_

 _"You gotta love this city." Lana smiled._

 _"I'll have to agree with you on that, honey." Adriana laughed, accepting the drink Elijah offered her._

 _"To a new era!" Her husband cheered, raising his glass. "Collaboration in the face of Prohibition."_

 _"To your docks, their booze, and our theatres to hide it under." Lana said. "You're welcome, boys."_

 _"Even though I did all the work." Adriana smirked, glancing at Elijah as they toasted their glasses together._

 _"Now, I shall have to think of a way to thank you personally, in a manner befitting a werewolf queen." Klaus smirked, turning to his lover._

 _"Catch you on the dance floor." Lana replied, the wolf walking past him and into the crowd._

 _The minute she left, Adriana angrily slammed her foot onto Elijahs toe and stepped away from him with a sneer._

 _"I'm done playing happy couples with you for the night." She sneered at him, ordering another drink with a wave of my hand. "Now she's left, and I don't have to play the good wife, you'll find me at the opposite side of the room from you. Good day."_

 _With a huff, she turned on her heels and marched away from him, snatching two glasses of champagne from the countertop._

 _"_ This was all you." Elijah murmered, clearly looking conflicted as he watched his younger brother.

"The blondes here." Adriana told him, leaning against the railing of the balcony.

"Camille!" Elijah shouted down to her, walking to stand next to his wife. "Please."

"Why did you call me?" Camille asked them both, having found her way upstairs. "Have you found a way to help my uncle?"

"I can try, but first, I need your help."

"I don't have time for games, Elijah." Cami stated, looking slightly annoyed. "The hex on him is getting worse by the day."

"My brother has a mystical torture device buried in his chest, and the mother of his child is inexplicably missing. So, I can assure you, I have no time to play any games, either."

"Well, it takes one problem out of her hands, but adds a greater one for us to deal with." Adriana hummed, crossing her arms and tilting her head as she stared at the blonde. "Are you seeing where we are coming from sweetie?"

"What do you need me to do?" Cami asked, becoming serious.

"The dagger the witch gave me is inside of him?" Cami said once they were inside Klaus' bedroom.

"And every second it remains causes Niklaus untold suffering." Elijah stated, removing his jacket and rolling up the sleeves of his shirt.

"Who stabbed him?"

"I did, and now I intend to remove it. You might want to take a step back."

"Why am I here?"

"Why are any of us here?" Adriana muttered, calmly picking her nails from where she stood in the corner.

"Because of all the people that could be here, you're probably the only one he wouldn't immediately slaughter." Elijah said, using a scalpel to cut into Klaus' chest. "Also, he speaks of you with what is a rare degree, for him at least, of respect. I can see you challenge him to see himself and others in a new light" Elijah finally pulled out the knife from Klaus' chest, making him scream in agony. "A wonderful skill that I shall be counting on very shortly. You see, Niklaus will be weak as he recovers. So, watch over him and feed him, if you would. But slowly, please, and from your wrist."

"Don't you guys have bags of blood in storage?" Cami asked, Adriana was starting to remember a guy who asked just as many questions.

What was his name? Stevan, Steve, Stefan...

Oh, Slater...

Dio, he had been annoying.

"We do, but your blood is laced with vervain. So, it will burn him. He'll ingest it slower. Perhaps you could use the time constructively? Persuade him not to murder his baby sister." Saying this, Elijah turned back to his brother. "Niklaus, it was not my desire to bring you pain, but I will not see you hurt Rebekah." Elijah explained, turning back to her. "Now, I fear Sabine will be making a final move against us. I intend to find her and to end this."

"Elijah." Klaus whispered weakly. "You will pay for this."

Adriana only glanced down at him, her face as blank as a fresh piece of paper.

"You know what, Niklaus." She said, crossing her arms and staring at him. "I think I liked you better when you were in supreme agony."

" _Look at these two pretending to be apart while so clearly a pair." Klaus stated, watching Rebekah and Marcel from a distance._

 _"Leave them alone Niklaus." Adriana said, the sound if her heels announcing her arrival as she walked up to the two of them. "They are happy, no?"_

 _"Niklaus, not now." Elijah agreed putting a hand on his arm. "Why must you cause trouble?"_

 _Klaus only shrugged, signalling for the band to stop as he walked ahead to gain everyones attention._

 _"I'd like to take this opportunity to draw attention to two people who have been sneaking around behind my back together." Klaus announced, raising his glass as he we move into a new era, we require more progressive attitudes to match. So, to my loving sister and my right-hand man and best friend Marcel, may they find joy in each other." Adriana choked on her drink as he spoke, the strong alcohol burning down her throat. "Enough talk... music!"_

 _"Did that seriously just happen?" Adriana asked, staring at her glass like it had personally offended her,_

 _"I think it did." Elijah nodded, taking another sip of his scotch._

 _"I wasn't talking to you." She snapped, turning to face him._

 _"Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness." Elijah pointed, out, turning his head to look at her._

 _"Oh really, you do it all the time." She argued back. "Maybe I should dig around in your brain."_

 _"Please don't." He muttered, turning back to scan over the crowd._

 _"Oh, how I despise you." Adriana hissed, slamming down her glass and burning holes into the side of his face._

 _"Hate you too, gypsy girl."_

 _"Not as much as I do."_

 _"I severely doubt that."_

"When order is restored, your kind won't be allowed in here." Monique stated, sitting up to find the married couple had entered the room.

"Oh, Monique." Adriana said, faking to be upset. "I'm deeply hurt by your hate of everything I stand for. Oh wait, I'm not."

"Fortunately, that day has not yet come." Elijah said, contradicting Monique original statement. "I need to find Sabine. I believe she's taken someone very important to me."

"And I'm just here because I don't want to be on the wrong end of Klaus' angsty claws." Adriana waved off. "I couldn't care less about the wolf."

"And you thought I'd help you?" Monique scoffed, standing up to face them. _"_ Sabine is one of us, committed to the rise of the witches."

"The only thing Sabine is committed to is the destruction of my family." Elijah argued.

"And that would be a bad thing why?"

"Because I'm too beautiful to die." Adriana deadpanned, threading her fingers through her loose hair.

"Not vain at all are you Adriana." Elijah muttered, shooting his partner a look before turning back to the witch. "Like your mother, my mother was also a witch, a _very_ powerful witch. In fact, because of my family, her power now flows through your veins. Now, once Sabine manipulates those around her, she will do what she has always done. She will jump into another body and disappear, leaving your witches powerless."

"No." Monique denied. "She has the faith. She will see our power restored."

"There's a way of guaranteeing this." Elijah continued. "I'll also secure the safety of yourself and your kind. Here. This is from my mother's grimoire. Celeste used a similar spell to body jump. If what Sabine says is true, when she sacrifices herself, all of her power will flow back into the earth. _However_ , if she has lied and tries to take another body, this spell will deliver her to a very different destination. Now, please locate Sabine."

" _Sleeping with the enemy, I see." Elijah said, appearing in the doorway with an annoyed Adriana behind him._

 _"I'm the ally now, darling." Lana drawled out._

 _"Well, indeed." Elijah said, neither him or Adriana looked very surprised._

 _"Does this mean we can stop playing happy couples around her?" Adriana asked, rolling her eyes at the scene. "Oh, thank dio."_

 _"Oh, and as a gesture of goodwill from our old enemy." Klaus said, holding up five tickets. "Tickets to tonight's opera, Le Huguenots."_

 _"They have a soprano to die for." Lana explained. "I'll introduce you if you promise not to eat her."_

 _"Oh, Lana, a good soprano is never dinner."_

 _"Elijah is completely right." Adriana spoke up, a sinister smile on her face. "They're too sweet, they would ruin the main course. They do however, make excellent deserts."_

 _"Adriana." Elijah scolded, turning to look down at her._

 _"I'm not going to apologise for that, and you know it."_

 _"Tell Rebekah to bring Marcel." Klaus said, breaking off their impending argument. "Feel free to tell her now, big brother. I have some business I need to discuss with our new ally."_

"Whatever she's promised you, it's a lie." Elijah told Hayley, appearing as the wolves started growling.

"Elijah, it's okay." Hayley tried to console. "I'm okay."

"No you're not." Adriana scoffed, appearing next to Elijah. "You're an idiot that's about to do something extremely idiotic."

"She cannot be trusted." Elijah nodded, agreeing with his wife.

"She's the only one that can help my pack." Hayley said,

"Who cares?" Adriana scoffed, growling back at the wolves. "Oh honey, you don't want to take on me with those toothpicks."

"Do you have any idea what she has done to our family?" Elijah growled, he and Adriana turning back to back when some of the wolves started to circle them.

"I know you want revenge, and come the next full moon, when I'm sure her cure works, she's all yours."

"Are you suggesting that we hold her- _her_ \- captive for an entire month? It would take an army." Elijah stressed, Adriana eyeing the wolves around them.

"And I've got one." Hayley stated, the wolves howling in agreement. "So help me or get out of my way."

"How about neither." Adriana hissed, quickly grabbing the jar while Elijah grabbed Celeste, only stopping when they were far enough from the wolves.

"You tricked her." Elijah hissed at Celeste, Adriana carefully holding the jar of herbal paste to her chest.

"It's no trick." Celeste disagreed. "You're wife is holding the cure for Hayley's clan. If her wolves take that elixir, the curse is no more. They're free."

"You condemned her people to decades of agony, and now you just break the curse without so much as a whimper." Elijah growled, standing next to Adriana. "Why?"

"Because it's the best thing I could do for her, and it's the worst possible thing I could do to you."

"What are you saying?"

Adriana didn't say anything as they spoke, just held the jar close to her and watched Celeste warily.

"That, no matter what happens now, you've lost her. You destroy that jar, you kill me, Hayley will hate you for snatching her family from her. Now, if you give her the jar, we both know that she'll leave you in the end to be with them, and I know that as long as she's alive and happy and fulfilled in ways that you can't even imagine, then I get my revenge. So, you decide. Give her everything she ever wanted and lose her or deny it, see what happens then."

"Oh Celeste." Elijah muttered, glancing down at Adriana. "I don't think you realise how little I care."

 _"I do not see why we need to go." Adriana huffed, leaning on the far side of their bedroom as Elijah finished getting ready. "I'm not just going to cancel my plans because Klaus' newest toy asked me to. What was it called again?"_

 _"Le Huguenots." Mikael answered, making Adriana's head swivel to the side to stare at him questioningly. "_ _Saw it in Venice. Marvelous production._

 _"You-" Elijah started with a hiss._

 _"It's all right, son." Mikaelson said, cutting him off. "I just want to talk."_

 _"Son?" Adriana squeaked, looking from Mikael to Elijah. "Who, in the name of Juno, are you?"_

 _"I see you've failed to mention me to your wife." Mikael commenting, glancing at the short brunette._

 _"Go Adriana." Elijah stated, his jaw clenched._

 _"I think you'll find that I will not be going anywhere, until you explain to me what the hell is going on." Adriana waved off, her feet placed in a way so that she could easily defend herself._

 _"You mercilessly hunt us for centuries." Elijah said, turning to his father. "You laid waste to half of Europe. Now you simply wish to talk?"_

 _"It was your bastard brother I hunted, not you, never you." Mikael dismissed, Adriana eyeing him carefully. "You're my blood, one that I'd be proud to call son. So, I came here to give you a chance to help me put down that whelp for good."_

 _Elijah went to attack him in a rage, only for his father to push him back into Adriana's dressing table, making it explode into splinters. Adriana quickly darted to the other end of the room, helping Elijah to his feet._

 _"Do you really not know me?" Elijah asked, Adriana carefully stepping away from him as he stood up. "Do you think I could or would believe in anything that you say? If you honestly believe that I would betray my own brother for you, you're a fool without equal."_

 _"I'll forgive you your sentimental affections for the thing you call brother, but you need to realize- as I did when I learned his mother had lain with a beast to beget him- that Niklaus is an abomination." Two low hisses filled the room as Mikael stated this. "You do not talk to abominations. You do not reason with them or try to change them. You erase them. So, yes, I am asking you to help me kill your brother."_

 _Adriana felt her mouth fall slightly open as Mikael pulled out a white oak stake._

 _"Elijah no!" She screamed, trying to hold him back as he launched at his father. "It's not worth it! Are you trying to get yourself killed! You die and I die with you!"_

 _Her efforts were proven to be futile, Elijah only launching himself at his father to be slammed into the wall with the stake pushed towards him._

 _"Stand with me or fall with him." Mikael growled, Adriana using his momentary distraction to pull him off Elijah. "Choose, son."_

 _"I will always choose him!" Elijah growled back._

 _"Fine." Mikael spat out, grabbing a regular wooden splinter and stabbing Elijah in the heart with it. Hearing the low thump as Adriana's body hit the floor as well. "So it's true what they say, you take down one and both of them go."_

"So, Adriana." Elijah continued, starting to circle Celeste. "What do you think we should do with her?"

"I really don't know." Adriana hummed, blinking away her surprise. "Celeste, sweetie. Would you like to die in agonising pain, or in excruciating pain? Your choice."

There's a reason people call Elijah and Adriana the most dangerous couple to walk the earth, they didn't care about anyone else. They had a attachment to Elijahs siblings, true, and Adriana was downright possessive of her daughter.

They fight, the shout, and they stab each other in the back.

They were dangerous on their own, but if they fought together you were already locked in your coffin.

"Aren't they the same thing?" Celeste choked out, watching Elijah warily as her circled her.

"Ecruciating pain it is!" Adriana cheered, gesturing to her husband with her free hand. "Elijah, if you could."

"Of course, Adriana."

He was about to launch himself at Celeste, when Adriana calmly held up her hand.

"Wait a minute, little warrior." She stated, loooking at the jar in her hands with a murmur. "I do believe that this is what parents call a 'learning curve' moment for our dear Hayley."

"What do you mean, gypsy girl?" Elijah asked, his eyes never leaving Celeste, looking at her like a predator would its prey.

"What I mean is." Adriana continued, shifting the jar in her hands. "If this paste does help the wolves and Celeste hasn't done anything to it, then great, everyone's happy. But, if Celeste has done something, then Hayley can take it as a valuable lesson learned and we all move on with our lives. See, learning curve."

"Beautiful and clever." Elijah grinned, disappearing for a moment only to appear next to her. "I think I like it."

"We're finally on the same page."

"Thank you, Adriana." Celeste breathed out.

"Oh, don't thank me, you're still going to die either way." Adriana shrugged, looking at her over her shoulder. "I completely despise you."

"You came back." Hayley breathed out, once they entered the bayou.

"Are you seriously that surprised?" Adriana scoffed, handing her the jar. "Take it, but come full moon, consider that bitch is dead."

"Eve and I will round up as many of our people as we can." Hayley nodded, slightly startled at Adriana's proclamation. "Come full moon, I can finally free my family."

"Hayley, I wonder if they have any idea how lucky they are to have you." Elijah smiled, his arm linked in with Adriana. "Now that she's gone, what is it that you want? What's your end game?

"Oh, this game never ends, Elijah." Celeste said. "We're both immortal, you know."

"You won't want to be immortal once we're through with you." Adriana said under her breath, calmly picking at her nails.

"Then what's the point if you can't possibly win?"

"But, I _have."_ Celeste smirked. "You just lost the girl, because you were so desperate to save your crazy wife and dysfunctional family. And now, your whole family lies in ruins."

"You're very confident for someone that has already dug their own grave." Adriana commented, tilting her head to the side.

"My family, despite all that you have done, will heal in time."

"If you had the time, maybe. But, do you really think Rebekah ran far and fast from here? I bet she didn't."

"She's long gone." Elijah growled, Adriana calmly resting a hand on the crook of his arm.

"Is she?" Celeste scoffed. "She's with Marcel. Now, Marcel loves Davina. Davina is dead, but she could come back under the right circumstances.

"I'm sorry, but what did you just say?" Adriana hissed, letting go of Elijah and grabbing Celeste by the throat and dragging her forwards. "Start talking honey, you'll find that I can be very persuasive..."

"They wouldn't dare." Elijah agreed, stepping forward.

"If you hadn't been so worried about Adriana's depriving mental state, you might have figured it out sooner. But, you know who did have the time to think about it? Your brother. I wonder what he'll do."

Elijah stepped forward, fangs appearing on both of their faces as they growled.

"Do it." Celeste dared them, not even trying to struggle when they bit into her.

 _"_ Now, you didn't have to bite me to get me here." Celeste smirked, sitting against a grave as the two guarded her. "I wanted front row seats to this show."

"And what show would that be?" Elijah asked.

"Your own funeral perhaps." Adriana offered, tilting her head to the side.

"The one where you see your 'Always and Forever' pact come crashing down around you." Celeste said, standing up. "It's a myth, Elijah. A myth I died for."

"And yet here you stand alive..." Elijah trailed off. "For now."

"Is that a threat?" Celeste scoffed. Oh, there's always another pretty, young body for me to jump into. From now on, every time you feel a connection to a woman, you'll be forced to wonder if it's me." As she talked, she was slowly stepping towards the entrance. _"_ You'll trust no one and spend the rest of eternity alone." Elijah quickly set after her, only for Celeste to fall into a fit of laughter when he hit an invisible wall. "I'm afraid you're trapped. Boundary spell. Vampires can enter, but they can't leave."

"You wouldn't." Elijah growled, Adriana hissing and slamming her hand on the wall preventing them from going after her.

"I would, and I did." Celeste said, continuing to smirk. "Don't worry. It's a lunar spell. You'll be free by the next moonrise. My guess is, your sister won't last that long. Ah, while this body has been a hell of a lot of fun, I do think it's time I find someone else to play in, don't you?"

Adriana stepped back hissing as Celeste smashed the glass jar and stabbed herself in the neck, effectively killing herself.

"You were right." Monique sighed stepping out of the shadows and pointing at the tunnels, beginning to chant. " _À ses restes, retourne au sol."_

"Hello, Celeste." Elijah greeted, entering the tomb.

"How is this possible?" Celeste spluttered out, horrified as she got to her feet.

"You seriously don't think we're that stupid, do you?" Adriana giggled, the click of her heels, ricocheting off the walls.

"Monique Deveraux and I had a little wager regarding your ability to keep a promise." Elijah explained. "It appears I won. You were so consumed with my downfall, that you lost the trust of one of your own."

" _Non."_ Celeste pleading, slipping into French. _"Mon cheri, non. Tout est possible. Ce n'est pas fini."_

"Oh, but sweetie, _Sì._ Apparently Italians do wear it better. _Cìao ratto."_ Adriana waved, stopping to stand behind Elijah.

" _Arrivederci."_ Elijah muttered, stabbing her in the stomach with the Papa Tunde blade, Adriana taking a small lighter black lighter out of the pocket of her blouse.

"It was fun playing our game with you Celeste." She sighed, setting the lighter on with a flick of her hand. "But I'm afraid we've grown bored of you." With a small huff, she knelt and set the edges of her clothes on fire, smirking when the fire spread to set the whole body on fire. "Rot in hell."

"And yet another player leaves the board." Elijah hummed, crossing his arms as he watched his former mistress burn. "Such a shame, I liked that one."

"Why Elijah, are you getting bored of me?" Adriana asked, linking her arm with his as they walked.

"Never my dear." Elijah laughed.

The best masks are the ones that are fashioned skin tight, with too many clouds obscuring your true nature, and too many lies burying you deep underground.

Everyone has their masks, we put them on, dance to the tune and dance with the sequence no one really knows.

Their masks of skin tight material, they make them suffocate and drown within themselves.

Elijah let's himself suffocate, but Adriana loosens hers only slightly.

A thousand years of betrayal, murder. Their own life is by far more than enough to label anyone insane.

They all had their own outlets, Klaus' was painting, and stuffing them in coffins every few centuries, Finn was stuffed in a coffin so long he didn't have one. Kol lost his magic and turned to brutality, and Rebekah had her lovers.

Elijah had the constant component of Adriana.

Their dangerous game passed the centuries, and slowly drew them both deeper into hidden insanity

They didn't care half the time though, as long as they had each other their masks would stay.

It was a blurred line between who needed who needed who. Adriana was a coddled child that always had Elijah to distract her from doing something dangerous. Elijah needed Adriana for she was a constant figure in his life, the one that dulled reality and fantasy and kept the line between them bold.

It could be both, it could be neither, but neither of them cared to find out.

 _"The final act of Le Grand Guignol is upon us!" Mikaelson screamed out, walking down the street, the wife oak stake in his hands. "Where are my players? Enough running, children! Step out of the shadows so we can finish this tale of sorrows."_

 _"Your father is crazy." Adriana breathed out, standing close to Elijah as the chaos began._

" _He's coming." Elijah stated, stepping onto the sidewalk and grabbing a metal stake from someone's fence._

" _All right." Klaus nodded, biting his wrist and feeding Rebekah his blood so she would wake up. "Come on, sister."_

 _"Marcel." Rebekah gasped out._

 _"He's gone, sister."_

 _"No." Adriana choked out, staring at the Opera House in flames. "Littlest warrior..."_

 _"No. No." Rebekah began to sob, clinging onto Adriana_

 _"All of you must flee the city." Elijah informed, twisting the metal stake in his grasp. "I'll hold him off, Niklaus take Adriana away from here."_

 _"No, Elijah." Adriana said shaking her head with tears in her eyes. "Please, don't leave me. We started this together, and we will end it together if we have to_."

 _"We fight him together." Klaus agreed._

 _"We cannot fight him." Elijah denied, resting his forehead against Adriana's as she started to sob. "All we can do is do what we've done. We deceive him. We lead him astray. Now, I can do that as well as anyone. You take her far away from here, both of them. I'll follow you."_

 _"I'll stay, I'll help you." Adriana begged, losing Elijah is the one thing she couldn't comprehend. "Please, just don't leave me."_

 _"No, Elijah. You can't. You can't, Elijah. Adriana please." Rebekah cried out. "This is just- this is my fault."_

 _"No." Klaus said, shaking his head. "This is my fault, Rebekah. I am so sorry. I'm sorry. Marcel- I thought we'd found a home here."_

 _"Niklaus, please. Sister, come." Elijah commanded, hugging Rebekah briefly. "You must leave. Go. Leave!"_

 _Klaus left reluctantly with Rebekah, though Adriana only stared at him and took his hand in hers._

 _"Adriana, please, I can't lose you." Elijah begged, tightening his grip on the make shift stake._

 _"Oh, my little warrior." Adriana breathed out, tightening her grip on his hand. "We started this journey together, and we will end it the same way. If this finally kills us little warrior: I love you, remember that."_

 _"I love you too, my gypsy." Elijah stated, kissing her briefly before stepping away_.

Elijah and Adriana walked through the crypts, night having fallen on the cemetery. Stopping when they saw Rebekah emerge from the shadows.

"Elijah? Adriana?"

"Rebekah?" Adriana asked, stepping forward and letting the blonde run into her arms. "Oh _principessa_ , what is wrong?"

"What are you doing here?" Elijah said, Adriana holding Rebekah tightly to her. "Rebekah, you should be on the other side of the world by now."

"You and I both know that wouldn't have been far enough." Rebekah stated, her eyes misted over.

"Get away from her!" Klaus bellowed out, striding towards them. "She's mine."

Adriana instinctively stepped back, a raised arm protecting Rebekah from Klaus, a cold look falling onto her face.

Klaus eyes quickly turned golden, black spider web veins protruding from his face and his sharp fangs sliced out from his jaw. Adriana could see Elijahs fangs bared out to his brother, the veins around his eyes pulsing as his grip on Papa Tunde's blade tightened. She could hear Rebekah hiss behind her, a small slice sounding as her fangs came out.

Adriana scowled, red filling her vision as her fangs came out, she let out a small growl to Klaus, crouching low ready to help Elijah at a moments notice.

Adriana was no stranger to fights, and this meeting was surely going to end in one.


	14. Hold My Flower

**AN: Hello everyone! Bad news, Adriana doesn't really speak a lot in this. Good news, she gets the bad*ss crown when she does. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Hold My Flower**

* * *

 **In which there's a reason the queen is the most powerful piece on the board.**

* * *

"Rebekah!" Klaus shouted again, Adriana's eyes scanning the area around them for possible advantages in a fight.

"Walk away." Elijah told Klaus calmly, his fangs disappearing as quick as they came.

"Don't move!" Klaus growled, his body stiff and the white oak stake nearly crushed from his grip.

"Leave us now." Elijah told

"I can't." Rebekah said through gritted teeth, scared and angry about the situation she was in. " I'm stuck here. Elijah, he has the white oak stake."

"You do what you must to survive Rebekah." Adriana said, hissing when Klaus growled at her. "Start running, find a way out of here or at least avoid him at any costs."

"I brought it for you, sister." Klaus sneered, pointing the stake at his youngest sibling.

"Get out of his sight." Elijah said, finishing his wife's statement. "Your presence here only serves to anger him. Leave him to us now."

Rebekah nodded, Adriana rising to her feet when she could no longer hear her feet running along the path.

"I'm asking you, brother to brother- we end this nonsense now." Elijah commanded softly, exchanging a look with Adriana.

"You _would_ side with that traitor." Klaus scoffed.

"I am not choosing sides." Elijah denied. "But I will not allow you to hurt our sister."

"We cannot leave this cemetery, Elijah. How long do you think you can defend her?" Klaus asked, starting to speed away, only for Elijah to grab his arm and Adriana to flash in front of him.

"As long as it takes, by whatever means necessary." Elijah answered, his voice taking on a cold edge.

Adriana sneered, calmly stepping to the left and flashing her fangs at they hybrid when he tried once more to get past her. Klaus growled back, but new better than to attack Adriana while his brother was watching.

"You've been at this for hours." Elijah commented lazily, standing next to Adriana. "To what end? Niklaus, I know you, and I grew up fighting you. I can't be beaten, nor can I be persuaded. You cannot get past me."

"I could get past you." Klaus contradicted, Elijah flashing in front of him when he tried to escape once more. "Although, it might have to be over your dead body. You did stab me with that blade, forcing me to endure hours of unspeakable pain. Perhaps I can't direct force at you, but it would only take a twig to the heart to kill your darling Adriana."

Elijah growled lowly when the stake was pointed at Adriana, the Italians only looking up to blink at the weapon before turning back to pick at her nails,

"You harm _my_ wife in anyway, and you would not only find yourself running from _me_ , but also from a few people who won't be as gracious as me." Elijah hissed, Adriana turning to stare at them. "Say, Niklaus, how would you feel having a whole country wanting your head on a spike. You should see yourself- the murderous expression, the self-righteous posturing. You look like Father."

"I'm not him." Klaus sneered. "Rebekah's betrayal justifies my anger. His was that of a madman. You were never the recipient of his cruelty. None of you were- not Kol, not Finn, None of you! I think you've forgotten what he was truly like."

"No." Elijah said quietly. "I have not forgotten."

Adriana stayed silent through the exchange, her deep brown eyes watching the brothers carefully as she stepped into the shadows, following after the two of them as they moved further up the cemetery.

"Niklaus, I understand your anger, but I implore you, be better than him. Do what he could not- demonstrate the grace of mercy, rather than this petty cruelty." Elijah tried to reason, running after his brother.

"You ask me to show mercy to one who has wronged me." Klaus said through gritted teeth. "You really don't know me at all, do you, brother?"

"Enough." Rebekah stated, Adriana turning her head as the blonde stepped out from the shadows next to her. Whatever I have done wrong, my guilt is nothing compared to yours. You want revenge? Fine. But, before you have it, I will look you in the eye and tell you why it was your cruelty and your spite that led us to this."

"Go on, then." Klaus stated. "Speak your piece, and when you are finished, I will grant you the punishment you deserve, even if I have to go through Elijah and Adriana to do so."

"Let it begin." Klaus announced, perched on top of a tomb in front of them. "The trial of Rebekah Mikaelson."

"Get it over with." Adriana called back from the sidelines, shaking her head at the look the hybrid shot her.

"What a relief." Rebekah muttered to Elijah. His ego is in check.

"Just speak your truth." Elijah muttered back. "I'll make certain he behaves himself."

"You stand accused of betraying your own blood. How do you plead?" Klaus continued, Adriana calmly rolling her eyes at his theatrics.

"I plead you to shut up and listen." Rebekah snapped.

"You summoned our father." Klaus said, stating the obvious. "You brought him to our home. What possible defense could you have?'

"I knew he was the only thing that you feared, and I wanted you to run."

"Because you hated me."

"Because you were _hateful_." Rebekah denied. "You denied me the freedom to love."

"Oh, so that's your defense?" Klaus asked. "You called Mikael- the Destroyer, the Hunter of Vampires- because I detained you from pursuing some dull suitors."

"You were cruel, and controlling, and manipulative." Rebekah answered, Adriana and Elijah exchanging a small glance.

"I was trying to protect you." Klaus shouted. "From imbeciles, and leeches. Not to mention your own poor judgment."

"And what about the one that you loved enough to call friend? Why did you forbid me to love Marcel?"

"Do not mention his name." Klaus growled out.

"What has happened to you?" Rebekah breathed out. "I remember the sweet boy who made me laugh and gave me gifts, who loved art and music. I wanted to be just like you. How could you have fallen so far?"

"You say you despise Rebekah for her betrayal, and yet no one has stood by your side for so long, not even I myself." Elijah spoke up. "Perhaps it's you that's forgotten. I remember the day that Father caught you whittling little chess pieces with his hunting knife. He beat you so mercilessly and for so long, I actually feared for your life."

"So, you would paint her as a loyal sister, but she betrayed me out of lust for Marcel." Klaus scoffed. "Perhaps that was why you did it- for love. Perhaps I might temper my rage if Rebekah will admit she was a victim of her own idiocy. That her great love, Marcel, used her to oust this family and to take my city."

"Marcel did not manipulate me." Rebekah intervened.

"You defend him, and yet you can't help but wonder, what if I'm right?"

"We loved each other. It was your refusal to respect that that led to your ruin."

"Then why didn't he chase after you when you fled New Orleans? Oh, yes! That's right. He was here stealing what I built!" Klaus cried out in frustration.

"You want me to renounce Marcel, to beg for your forgiveness? I won't. Marcel is not at fault. I called Mikael."

"Rebekah, you must-" Elijah started only to be cut off by his sister.

"I was the one who brought him to New Orleans because of _your wickedness_! I wanted love and happiness, and you denied me the freedom to have either. Yes, I hated and I was afraid of our father, but he was a lesser evil than you. My bastard brother who loomed over me, threatening me as you are now. I wanted rid of you, and given the choice, I'd do it again!" Rebekah screamed, Adriana taking a small step forward.

Klaus lunged forward, pushing Rebekah against the tomb, only for Elijah to tackle and take away the white oak stake from his grasp.

"Sister, leave us." Elijah commanded, falling into a battle stance.

"I'm not going-"

"Now Rebekah." Adriana snapped, gently pushing the blonde away from the scene. "I've already lost my daughter to this town, I won't lose one of you to it either."

Rebekah looked like she wanted to say something, but quickly closed her mouth and ran off.

"You wouldn't listen to her." Elijah stated, turning to Klaus. "So, now, you must deal with me."

"So what's it gonna be?" Klaus asked. "You hold both weapons. Tunde's blade would put me down, but the stake could finish me off for good."

"Well- unlike you, brother- I have no taste for fratricide." Elijah said, holding up the stake and Papa Tunde's blade as he mentioned them. "I only hold this to keep it from you. This is just my insurance."

"Why must you defend her?" Klaus breathed out. "Rebekah betrayed you, as well, when she brought Mikael here."

"Because she is our sister, and because I like to remember her the way that she was before we became what we became." Adriana stood in the background, absentmindedly picking a brilliant red rose off one of the stone tomb walls and threading it though her fingers. "She was an innocent girl, quick to laugh, full of life."

"My memories serve to make her betrayal more painful."

"Can you not then accept some small part of the blame?" Elijah asked, Adriana watching them carefully. "After all, Niklaus, it was your cruelty that led her to do what she did.

"Do you not see, Elijah? She didn't mean to chase me off. She wanted me _dead_."

"You're wrong."

"She has always hated me. You know that's true."

"You have no idea, do you?" Elijah said. "You have no idea what she was prepared to do for you. When our sister sees something that she perceives to be an injustice, she can be stubborn, impetuous, and, at times, downright dangerous. And never was this more apparent than the night she tried to kill our father."

"What is this, some melodramatic fiction designed to garner my sympathy?"

"It is the truth." Elijah contradicted. "I was there. And she would have done it, all to protect you, had I not stopped her. I often wished that I could revisit that moment, complete the task myself."

"Why are you telling me this now?"

"Niklaus, sometimes our sister acts without thinking." Her husband stated. "She's short of temper, she's quick to fall in love, but she loves _you_. But, your malicious treatment has broken her heart. So, yes, she responded by summoning our father. Yes, that was a mistake. I'm not entirely sure that I can blame her."

"I can." Klaus sneered, speeding to the tomb only for Elijah to beat him there and Adriana to appear milliseconds later, the rose still in her hands.

"Niklaus, so help me-" Elijah started, only to be cut off by Klaus.

"Are you really going to stand against me?" Klaus cut off. "And not with that pathetic blade. You'd just have to pull it out someday, and then I'd hate you as I do her, now. If you want to protect Rebekah, you'll need to use the white oak stake."

"I don't have to listen to this nonsense."

"Oh, don't pretend you haven't thought about it. You look at me, and you see everything you abhor in yourself. Sure, you dress it up with your fancy suits and your handkerchiefs. You, with your mask of civility and eloquence, you're every bit the abomination I am. Or worse. Go on, Elijah. Go on. Use the white oak stake."

"I'm not so cowardly that I have to kill you, Niklaus, but if I have to make you suffer to protect Rebekah, that is what I will do." Elijah said, throwing the white oak stake far away and glaring at Klaus.

"You see?" Klaus smirked. "I knew you couldn't do it. You still cling to the hope that I can be redeemed, and if the bastard can be saved, then maybe there's hope for you." Klaus sighed, grappling Papa Tunde's blade and stabbing it into Elijahs heart. "There. Now you know how it feels.

"Well would you look at that." Adriana drawled out, pushing the sleeve of her blouse back and glancing at her watch. "I have about three minutes before that starts to affect me. Elijah, hold my flower."

She lazily threw the rose she was holding to the ground, calmly shifting on her heels and sending Klaus a roundhouse kick, the hybrid only narrowly dodging it.

"You can't beat me, Adriana." Klaus snarled out, his head snapping to the side when the nine hundred year old Italian punched him round the face.

"Shut up." She snapped at him, sidestepping to the left when he charged at her, calmly looking at her watch again with a sigh. "Two minutes."

She could feel several bones cracking when Klaus managed to hit her in the ribs, a sacrifice she had to make to make him land on his back.

"Did you really think you could win against the Mother of Nightmares, Niklaus?" Adriana breathed out kicking the white oak stake further away from his reach. "Your arrogance really has reached a whole new level."

She grimaced when she took another step, her hand raising to rest on her chest, her eyes flashing when she fell to her knees with a cry.

"Guess your three minutes are up Adri..." Klaus trailed off, getting to his het as darkness surrounded her vision, her body falling next to Elijah with a soft thud.

 _Adriana smirked at the sight in front of her, various soldiers stuck on spike around the Romanian field, her hair lightly swaying in the soft breeze as people around her started screaming and pointing._

 _"Mama!" An excitable and slightly childish voice sounded, a tall figure appearing next to her. "Do you like it? Do you like it? It is your birthday gift after all..."_

 _"Oh, my little Vlad the impaler." Adriana smiled, mocking his newfound title slightly. "It's absuloutly beautiful."_

 _Vladimir only pouted slightly at his sires mocking, obediently trailing after her when she turned away from the scene, the screaming of the citizens music to both of their ears._

 _"Adriana!" A deep growl sounded, Elijah storming over to both of them with a furious expression, Kol trailing after him with a wide grin. "Explain this! Now!"_

 _"And why should she do that." Vladimir growled back, his fangs flashing in the sunlight. "My sire owes you nothing, Original."_

 _"Adriana." Kol spoke up, whining slightly. "Have you replaced me? Though I must admit, I'm ashamed you got to him first, he would have made a great addition to my sireline."_

 _Vladimir hissed lowly, having a great dislike being ignored._

"I thought I might find you here." Elijah greeted, Adriana following him inside the room, the rhythmic tap of her heels ricocheting around the room.

"I just came to collect the last of my things that didn't burn to ash." Rebekah shrugged, Adriana glancing around the room. "I'll be leaving shortly. I don't suppose you have any desire to join me."

"I do hope you find everything you're looking for." Elijah smiled.

"Elijah, when I brought Mikael, I never for a second meant to hurt you." Rebekah admitted, Adriana smiling warmly when she glanced at her.

"I know." Elijah nodded.

"I was certain that Klaus meant to kill me." Rebekah said. "Whether he never really did at all, or he changed his mind... maybe somewhere, deep down, he still is the brother we once knew."

"Very deep, but he's still in there." Elijah agreed.

"Help him find his way." The youngest Mikaelson sighed, giving Elijah a small kiss on the cheek and hugging Adriana.

"Goodbye, angelo." Adriana smiled when Rebekah reluctantly let her go, gently kissing the top of her hair, she and Elijah watched her leave. Small smiles on their faces.

"Adriana?" Elijah finally spoke up as a few seconds ticked by.

"What is it little warrior?" Adriana asked, looking up at him.

"How do you feel about kicking someone out?" Elijah smirked, offering her his arm.

"Well, little warrior." Adriana grinned, taking his arm as they walked out of the room. "It fully depends on who it is."

"Oh, gypsy girl." Elijah smirked, glancing at her. "I think you'll fully agree with me on this."

"Good evening." Elijah spoke up, Adriana placing her foot on Marcels back to keep him down. "I trust my wife and I need no introduction. After all, this was once out family home. Tonight I'm taking it back. Your privileges here have been revoked. Marcellus, out of respect for my sister, I will grant you this one mercy. I will allow you to keep your life." Adriana snarled and shoved him to the ground when Marcel tried to get up. "However, you're hereby exiled for your crimes against the crown, and after a full discussion with my wife, the death of Cienna Mikaelson. Otherwise known as, Davina Claire. If we so much as find a trace of you in the French Quarter, it will not end well for you. Do you understand?" Elijah paused for a second before turning to the crowd. "That is all. Run along."

Adriana growled, taking her heeled foot off of Marcel.

"Adriana." He tried to plead. "You don't understand."

"I understand plenty." She spat at him. "You offered my daughter to a stone table and watched as a witch slit her throat."

"No, Adriana, please. You don't understand. Davina she-"

"I don't want to hear it!" Adriana screeched, Elijah quickly appearing behind her with a growl thrown in Marcels direction. "My daughter is dead, Marcel! And it may not be just your fault, but I'll take revenge when it is given. Now, get out of my sight, before I decide to hang you up like a sack of meat and give you ten times the amount of pain my daughter went through. By the end, death by Klaus' hands would seem like mercy."

Adriana growled, angrily snapping her teeth at him before turning on her heel, pausing slightly to turn back to the former king.

"You may have once been the king of this city, Marcellus." Adriana stated, raising her head and staring him down. "But there's a reason you were revoked, and there's also a reason why the queen is the most powerful piece on the board." A small smirk painted her face, Elijah walking to stand behind her. "I'm Adriana Mikaelson, the _Queen of New Orleans_."


	15. Get Some New Threats

**AN: Hello everybody! Sorry this chapter took such a long time, it's been hectic. Anyway, I'm so proud of this one. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Get Some New Threats**

* * *

 **In which a dead person is not so dead after all**

* * *

"My demons are dead, or chased off." Klaus murmured, starting to unbutton his shirt, Genevieve sitting up.

"Oh, please stop." Adriana's voice sounded, followed by gagging. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Yes, all your monsters." Elijah hummed, entering the room beside Adriana. "Apart from the one lingering monster with whom you share a bed." With little care, Adriana threw the heels at Genevieves head. "I trust you can find your clothing and the door."

"You do recall that woman tortured our sister?" Elijah reminded one Genevieve left.

"She also revealed the truth about our sister's treachery." Klaus pointed out.

"And your still hung up about that?" Adriana scoffed, rolling her eyes at her brother in law.

"And as a consequence, Rebekah is gone forever." Elijah reminded.

"A desire which she apparently harbored for quite some time." Klaus shrugged.

"Niklaus, it has been a month." Elijah stated. "Now, I feel our sister's loss as deeply as you. But, you must stop distracting yourself with this ridiculous behaviour and channel it into some kind of action."

"Why must I, exactly?" Klaus asked, grabbing a paintbrush and returning to his art.

"Because over the course of Marcel's tenure, the city grew accustomed to having a king. You wanted this throne. Now, you must accept the responsibility that accompanies that."

"Apologies, but I'm rather ensconced in other pursuits." Klaus said, only paying them half of his attention.

"What other pursuits?" Adriana huffed, grabbing a nearby a paint pot. "Draining this towns paint supply? Or sleeping with every woman who looks your way."

"If you can so easily neglect your home, I wonder what will become of your daughter. Have you forgotten what it was like to live beneath the threat of violence? We must work together, Niklaus." Elijah implored, glancing at Adriana for help. "Let's make this city whole again."

"Perhaps it is too broken to mend." Klaus stated, taking back his paintbrush from Elijah and returning to his canvas.

"If you won't do anything, we will." Elijah growled slightly, turning away from his brother.

"Who's we?" Adriana asked, her glare intensifying when Elijah grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the room.

"St. Anne's has long been neutral ground in our city." Keiran started Adriana leaning back in her seat next to Elijah. "So, it's only fitting that we gather in this chamber at the behest of Elijah Mikaelson to bring harmony to this place we call home. Thank you all for coming."

"Yes, thank you for coming. And welcome." Elijah nodded, holding up a half signed document. _"_ These are the rules of the city according to Marcel Gerard." With that statement, the document was torn in half. "Which, of course, no longer apply, because I'm in charge."

"You said that if we came along, that we would get to run things by ourselves." Diego growled like the dog he truly was. "Never mentioned anything about making yourself king."

"Well, you were each selected to represent your own communities. In our honor, however, any issues that arise between factions, it will come to me. Now, we are all responsible for the current chaos in the city." Elijah explained, looking around him. "However, you have one very, very simple choice ahead of you here: you can all play nicely together, or you can leave."

"What is this?" Adriana scoffed, gesturing around with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Daycare? Come on Elijah, we both know how I took control of Romania for a century, do you remember how fun that was?"

"You took control through mass seduction and compulsion, Adriana." Elijah said, shaking his head. "And it ended up with thousands of people having to be killed."

"I know!" Adriana giggled, clapping her hands together with a smile. "It was great!"

"Are you insane or something?" Diego muttered, staring at her looking slightly aghast.

"You wanna repeat that, little fangs." Adriana hissed, the smile instantly falling away from her face.

"This is our city, too!" Diego shouted a few moments later. "We should be able to go wherever the hell we want!"

"We would consider it an act of _war_!" Genevieve managed to yell over Diego.

"You wanna fight me witch?" Adriana hissed at her, glaring and hissing at the witch from across the table. "You wouldn't survive."

"We're getting nowhere." Kieran said, looking agitated and pale. "You vile creatures cannot _agree_."

"Vile!" Adriana screeched, all heads snapping to Father Kieran. "Do you desperately want to become my dinner that much human?"

"Adriana!" Elijah growled, Adriana quickly calming down at the sound of his voice. "Enough!" Adriana quickly closed her mouth glaring down at the floor with a sneer. _"_ Thank you. Now returning to the issue of boundaries, you will all heed to the following-"

"Are you serious?" Hayley said, bursting into the room and cutting off Elijah. "You're dividing up the city, and the werewolves don't even get a say?"

"What the hell is she doing here?" Diego angrily shouted, standing up and pointing too Hayley.

"For once, I agree with Diego." Adriana nodded, she too standing up in her seat. "The wolf has no place here."

"Diego, Adriana, sit." Elijah commanded. "We are not dividing the city. We're establishing boundaries-"

"No, Elijah! There is not gonna be a peace if the werewolves are excluded. They want a seat at the table." At this, Adriana, Diego and Genevieve all scoffed. "And if they don't get one, I can guarantee that you will all regret it."

"If you want one that desperately mutt." Adriana scowled, standing up in her chair again and turning to face Hayley. "Then get someone qualified, or shut up!"

"Do you have any idea what it took just to get those people in one room together?" Elijah hissed at Hayley, Adriana following them into the other room and closing the door behind them.

"No, actually, I don't!" Hayley shouted back defiantly. "Because I didn't even know what you were doing out here until someone else told me. Tell me something, Elijah. Did you leave the werewolves out because of me?"

"Not everything's about you honey." Adriana stated, with a short laugh. "Get over yourself, the world doesn't spin just to please you."

"I excluded them because they no longer reside in the French Quarter." Elijah informed. "My immediate concern is to end the mounting conflict here. Now, I can assure you once this treaty is solidified, it will expand to include your people."

"And until then, I should tell them what? Sit? Stay? Roll over?"

"Maybe you could tech them to play fetch while your at it." Adriana offered.

"I would prefer that you remove yourself from the process all together!" Elijah growled at her, his eyes turning colder as she glared at him. "You don't scare me Hayley Marshall, I'm married to Adriana Mafiay." Hayley took a step back, looking slightly frightened of Elijahs cold demeanour. "Get back to the compound."

Adriana fell silent from next to him, staring at him while looking slightly aghast.

"You think the baby belongs there?" Hayley laughed sarcastically, still looking slight shaken up. "You think that's where she'll be safe?"

"Is the Bayou any better?"

"The wolves deserve a voice." Hayley stated. "Give them one. You know it's the right thing to do."

Adriana growled but left the room and returned the table when Hayley turned to leave, both of them pausing when Elijah grabbed Hayley's arm.

"Oh, Hayley." He muttered, fake sympathy costing his voice as his eyes seemed to darken. "You are under the strange presumption that I actually care."

Adriana only narrowed her eyes at Elijah as he passed her, a strange look over taking her face.

 _"_ Mr. Mikaelson." Francesca greeted, meeting them at the bar. "Mrs. Mikaelson."

"Ms. Correa." Elijah nodded, Adriana only smiling at the woman.

"Please, call me Francesca." Francesca waved off.

"We can dispense with any formalities, Ms. Correa." Elijah denied, he and Adriana exchanging a look. "I know exactly who you are. You own the Palace Royale Casino. You're one of the city's leading philanthropists. And, according to my sources, you're the matriarch to a rather sizable drug trafficking empire. So, why am I here?"

"Whatever you may think of me, my family's been a part of the human faction for years, which makes me uniquely qualified to take Father Kieran's 'll deal with me from now on."

"Is that a threat, Ms. Cornea." Adriana spoke up, taking a sip of her drink with a blank expression.

"Are you giving me a mandate?" Elijah asked, sounding slightly offended by the implication.

"No." Francesca laughed. "I'm giving you an ally. I want peace just as much as you do. My lifestyle, which I enjoy very much, depends on it."

"Yes, I can see you're highly motivated."

"You know, I should mention, I've already spoken to the city's new mayor and the chief of police and other interested parties, and I have their blessing. I think you'll find it beneficial to have me on your side, even if it's just to prevent my less civil brethren from lashing out in ways that could prove painful to you." Francesca smiled fakely, Adriana snickering from next to Elijah. "Have a good night."

"Oh, I like her." Adriana grinned, glancing up at her husband. "Can we keep her?"

"I'll think about it." Elijah murmured, signalling for the bartender to get him a drink.

 _"_ Not a fan of cerulean blue?" Klaus asked, seeing Elijah in front of his painting.

"We're not a fan of your continued indifference." Elijah growled at him, crossing his arm over his chest.

"Don't drag my opinion into this." Adriana huffed, Klaus turning around to see her sat in his chair next to the table.

"Well, it's difficult trying to unite a community that has a history of mutual loathing." Klaus explained.

"Spare me the platitudes, Niklaus." Elijah groaned, walking to stand next to Adriana.

"A perspective, then?" Klaus asked. "If you want peace, you must begin with the werewolves. A hundred years ago, they had a run at ruling this city. As of late, all they've had is time to watch their enemies tear down that legacy."

"All the more reason why their enemies are reluctant to bring them to the table."

"But if you actually left your cocoon, Klaus." Adriana commented, gesturing around them with a roll of her eyes. "I would expect you would've known that."

"Take a page from Bienville, brother. If the table's the obstacle, remove it." Klaus stated, pouring them both drinks. "Do you recall in 1720, the Governor's desperation to secure our help to build the cities first levees? We sat with him, and refused his offer, and so, he plied us with wine, with corseted women, and with raucous camaraderie all while having his servants rile up Adriana, until he had his yes."

"Are you suggesting that I throw a party?" Elijah smirked, hearing Adriana groan in the background.

"I'm impressed, brother." Elijah nodded, Adriana huffing in offence from where she stood next to him, swirling the blood around in her wine glass, not bothering to turn around as the doors opened.

"Yes." Niklaus nodded, his smirk seeming to widen as he glanced at the door and then to Adriana.

"What are you looking at?" Adriana snapped at him, beyond annoyed by the impromptu party,

"Now if I can just keep them from tearing one another to shreds." Elijah muttered.

"Well, then for your sake, here's to a spectacularly boring evening." Klaus chuckled. "Adriana, don't turn around."

"What do you mean 'don't turn around'?" Adriana asked, turning around just to spite him.

 _CRASH!_

Adriana's glass hit the balcony floor with an echoeing from sound.

All heads turned to the three of them, but the damage had already been done.

Adriana's mouth snapped shut quickly, a cold expression forming across her face.

"I will deal with you later, _young lady_." Adriana growled lowly, pointing at Davina with icy eyes. "But first..."

Adriana spun around, raised her hand and hareshly slapped Elijah across the face.

"I am going to kill you in your sleep!" Adriana screamed at him, lunging at him only for Klaus to hold her back. "Let me go Klaus! I'm gonna kill him! I'm going to bloody kill him!"

"Seriously?" Elijah only asked her, the red handprint on his face healing quickly. "Get some new threats Adriana."

"You wanna hear some new threats." Adriana growled at him, fighting against Klaus' grip. "How about I string you up by your-"

Adriana was cut off by Klaus' hand, muffled shouts filling the air.

"I do not want to hear that." Klaus muttered to her, letting go of Adriana once she had calmed down a tiny bit.

Adriana sneered at them both, turning on her heel and exiting the balcony with a huff.

"Mama." Davina greeted calmly, breaking away from Genevieve and her little group of lapdogs.

"Little light." Adriana said curtly, curbing her anger for her daughters sake. "Last I checked, you were dying in my arms."

"I'm sorry." Davina had the decency to mutter, glancing back at the group of witches. "I've been busy."

"Come with me." Adriana only stated, growling slightly at the group before dragging Davina away, only half noticing Elijah slip away from the crowd and follow after them.

Adriana entered her and Elijahs office, shutting the door behind her husband, taking out her lighter and burning the Sage in the basin to block out any eavesdroppers.

"Okay little light." Adriana said, dropping into her chair with a sigh and holding her head in her hands. "I'm going to pretend I'm not deeply hurt by the fact you didn't even inform you were alive and I'm going to pretend that I don't want to rip Genevieve and her rag tag group to shreds. I jus want to know this one thing; why?"

Elijahs jaw set in a thin line as he hear his wife's voice break slightly at the end, passing Davina without a word and sitting down in his own chair.

Davina just stared at the floor, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

"Davina." Adriana pressed once more, lifting up her face as her voice broke again. "Davina..."

Still no reply.

"Cienna." Adriana pressed more, seeing Davina flinch at the use of her real name. " _Per favore."_

"Mama, I'm sorry." Davina finally stated, her hand curling in on itself. "I'm so sorry."

"That does not answer my question, Cienna."

"I was scared." Davina finally admitted. "Marcel told me how you reacted after I died, and I was just so scared. I was scared how'd you'd react, if you'd lash out or if you would end up doing more damage to yourself. And then, I went to the witches, and I knew, I _knew_ , you would have been disappointed with me. You've always taught me the same old phrase, how the Mafiay only look after each other, and the long it dragged on the more upset you sold have been. I knew, and I hated myself for it."

Davinas head was bowed low, a single tear running down her face and silently hitting the carpeted floor.

Adriana slowly stood up, gently reaching out and wrapping her daughter into a hug.

"Oh, _bambino ragazza_ , do you know how much I love you?" Adriana carefully mumbled into her hair. "I love you a lot. Surprising, I know, coming from a person like me. But I do, I love you a lot. And it hurts, it still hurts, that you would think I would do that. I would love you no matter what you will do, I would give you the world if you asked me to. Never forget that, my little light."

Adriana looked up from Davinas hair, holding the girl close as she looked at Elijah sat in his chair watching them carefully.

"I'm crying." Adriana laughed dryly, several tears running down her face. "Why aren't you crying? That's hardly fair."

"We never did fair, gypsy girl." Elijah hummed, standing up from his chair and making his way over to them.

"Well, maybe we can start now, little warrior." Adriana laughed, Elijah wrapping his arms around them both and wiping the tears away from Adriana's face. "We should get back to the party."

Adriana stepped back, placing a small kiss on Davinas forehead and watching her with a smile.

"Little light." She stared, Davina turning around to look at them before she left. "If you ever need me, please know I am there."

"Is this my forgiveness." Elijah joked, growling when Adriana hit him upside down on the head. "Was that necessary?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, little warrior."

Adriana's head snapped up from her glass when she heard a large shatter echoed around the hall. She and Elijah exchanging a look before running out of their office only to see Oliver on top of Diego.

"This ends _now_." Elijah threatened, forcing Oliver off Diego. "I won't ask again."

"Oh, we'll end it all right." Jackson snarled back, holding Diego to the wall with a wooden stake pointed to his heart.

"Ahem." A polite voice coughed, a small hand tapping Jackson on the shoulder. "You would find you'll be doing no such thing."

"Who are you?" He growled at her, the small female vampire only lazily raising an eyebrow at him.

"My name is Adriana Mafiay-Mikaelson." She introduced herself, calmly cracking her knuckles in one hand. "I'm Elijahs wife."

With a quick punch in the nose, Jackson was out cold, the stake clattering to the floor.

"What's stopping you?" Hayley was asking. "Kill him. Go ahead, Elijah. Do it. I mean, it's not like he doesn't deserve to die."I mean, it was Oliver who handed Rebekah over to the witches so they could torture her. But, then again, wasn't it Diego who led a werewolf massacre last month? And the witches cursed the wolves, while the humans stood back and let it all happen. So, when you think about it, everyone here deserves to die."

"Are approaching a point?" Elijah snapped angrily.

"My point, Elijah, is this- if we can't all learn to get along, if our families can't create some sort of community, then what's the point?" Hayley took in a deep breath, gesturing around here. "Kill each other and get it all over with."

The room falls silent for several seconds, even Klaus looking surprised when Elijah didn't drop Oliver.

Several more seconds ticked, before two sets of laughter filled the air.

"Oh my." Adriana chuckled, suddenly appearing next to Hayley and poking her in the cheek. "Aren't you just hilarious? You really should go into stand up comedy, your absuloutly wasted here. Elijah, let the poor thing go, he's starting to turn blue."

"You've made your point Hayley, now it's our turn to make ours." Elijah smirked, carelessly dropping Oliver as the two of them began to circle Hayley. "Do you know what they used to call us Hayley?"

"Death and his wife." Adriana answered, her heels tapping into the wooden floor as she let out a short laugh. "Oh, we had so much fun when we could get away with it."

"So who are you, little wolf, to deny our authority?" Elijah mocked, everyone stepping back when the murderous aura filled the room. "Who are you?"

"We are not children, little wolf." Adriana sneered, snapping her teeth close to Hayley's face. "We don't need you approval for what we do, or do not do. Are you following here, the mind of a dog tends to be so slow."

"We kill who we want." Elijah started.

"When we want." Adriana continued.

"And how we want to do it." He finished.

With a small huff, Adriana stepped away from Hayley, brushing past her as if she wasn't there.

"Anyone else like to say anything?" She called out, her eyes scanning around the room.

"We thought not." Elijah smirked as a few seconds of silence passed, he and Adriana turning on their heels and leaving the room with a flourish.


	16. Kill Them All

**AN: *cough* Reminder that both Elijah and Adriana are clinically insane *cough*. Anyway, this chapter is crazy. Seriously, this gets _crazy_. Enjoy!**

 **Song Lyrics Near The End; Crazy In Love; By The Eden Project**

* * *

 **Kill Them All**

* * *

 **In which we are converted to the dark side**

* * *

Adriana sat in her chair, not even raising her head as the workers in front of her began their work, only glancing up when Klaus' shirt filled the courtyard.

"Enough with all the racket!" He shouted, walking down the stairs with Genevieve.

"Is there a problem, brother?" Elijah asked from where he leaned against Adriana's chair. "Gentlemen, please."

"I agreed to a general sprucing up, not a bloody three-ring circus." Klaus muttered.

"Marcel and his minions abused our home for the better part of a century. Now, you might be content to live in squalor. I'm not."

"I agree with your brother." Genevieve nodded. "It's a new era in the French Quarter. This place could use a makeover."

"How about I give you a makeover by breaking your neck." Adriana muttered, ignoring the warning glance Elijah and Klaus shot her.

It wasn't as if the witch had heard her.

"Careful, Elijah." Klaus warned with a grin. "When this one agrees with you, it's a sure sign she wants something."

"Actually I do have a request. I'm told our coven hasn't been able to celebrate feast days in the open since Marcel restricted the use of magic. Now with the new peace, I'd like that to change."

"Am I to assume that you have a certain feast day in mind?" Elijah asked, Adriana shoving his arm away when he bagan to use her head as an arm rest.

" _La Fête des Bénêdictions_." Genevieve stated. "Feast of the Blessings. In the past, members of the community offered witches gifts in exchange for blessings. We'd like to use it as a forum for introducing our young Harvest girls to society."

"So your coven attempted to destroy my family, and you yourself held my siblings in unspeakable torment, and you would like a party for the witches?" Elijah scoffed, glancing at Adriana with a smirk. "I knew you reminded me of someone."

"Are you trying to say something, little warrior?" Adriana said, innocence dripping from her tone as she turned another page in her book.

"Nothing at all, gypsy girl." Elijah hummed in return, his smirk even wider. "Absolutely nothing."

"I made my amends with your brother. Why don't you think it over?" Genevieve asked, Adriana snapping closed her book and rolling her eyes as she left.

"Oh, don't be such a stiff, Elijah." Klaus smirked, waving the situation off. "The tourists love a good festival. Besides, what better way to cement the solidarity than a show of faith toward a one-time enemy?"

"A onetime enemy with whom you've grown rather nauseatingly intimate." Elijah pointed out.

"The great hybrid, how far you've fallen." Adriana snickered, leaning back in her seat. "You're nothing more than a love sick puppy."

"Well, who said maintaining alliances can't be fun?" Klaus shrugged, ignoring Adriana's backhanded insult.

"One would think you'd be a little more interested in attending to the needs of the mother of your child."

"So, she's the reason behind this oh-so-thoughtful renovation? Elijah, the truth is, the mother of my child is werewolf royalty. She's far safer in the Bayou with her pack than she would ever be here with us. Don't worry. I'll bring her home before the birth. No child of mine will be born in a swamp."

"If one thing happens that I don't like, I'm taking that baby and running far away from this city." Adriana stated once Klaus had left, waving for the workers to continue as she and Elijah walked up the stairs.

"You're worried about Klaus' behaviour?" Elijah asked her, opening the door to their study and closing it behind her.

"It's not Klaus I'm worried about." She admitted, folding her arms as she collapsed into one of the two chairs near the fireplace. "It's that _girl_ , she shows no care for the damage she might do to her baby by living in those conditions. I'd be surprised if she has bothered to go to the doctors yet, supernatural or not."

With a hum, Elijah sat across from her.

"You make a valid point." He nodded, leaning back in his chair. "At this rate, I think I'll run away with you if anything happens."

"Oh, little warrior." Adriana cooed, Elijah raising an eyebrow at her mocking. "Are you coming to the dark side? Want to plan killing Genevieve with me?"

"Help me plan this festival." Elijah offered, smirking at the grin that lit up Adriana's face. "And then we'll talk."

"You want us to go to a witch event on bended knee and give them a gift?" Diego asked them later that day. "I'm sorry, but I just remembered. We're busy doing just about anything else that night."

"Diego, this isn't a request." Elijah stated. "Your name is on that treaty. Now, if you have any difficulty whatsoever with your new-found position, I'd be more than willing to remove you."

"I never thought I'd see the day." Diego muttered. "Vampires bowing down to witches."

"Poor baby." Adriana smirked, rolling her eyes at Diegos face. "Get over it honey."

"I see it as a demonstration of strength, acknowledging a lesser faction." Elijah said, Adriana rolling her eyes from behind him.

 _"_ But you're not asking, are you?" Francesca only laughed after their order. "Oh, I see it's true what they say about you, Elijah. You make even strong-arming seem noble. Well, the tourists do read this stuff up. Can you imagine what they'd think if they suddenly found out it was all real? I take it you want me at the public show and the private party afterward?"

"That is correct." Elijah nodded, Adriana sighing in relief.

"I'd be happy to attend." Francesca smiled. "And in return, you will owe the humans a favor."

"How about we repay you by not having you as the main course?" Adriana offered.

"Your people are uniquely poised to set an example for the rest of the French Quarter. Which is why it's important for the wolves to attend."

"Thanks, but no thanks?" Hayley sneered, glaring at them both, still upset about their previous encounter.

"Elijah did you hear something?" Adriana asked, looking up from where she was picking at her nails.

"Yes, I did Adriana." Elijah said, playing along. "It was this annoying squeak of something that believed it has a right to speak to us in some degrading manner."

"Well, what do you know?" Adriana gaped, drawling out her words. "I was just thinking the exact same thing."

"Let's hear them out." Oliver said with a sigh.

"The witches are the ones that cursed your pack." Hayley said. "And they've been nothing but crap to me since I first came to town. No. We're not going."

"You know what, Elijah?" Adriana drawled out, resting her hands on her hips. "That annoying squeak just won't shut up."

"Extremely annoying." Elijah nodded. "If only I could just reach out and break it's bones."

"Welcome to the dark side, little warrior." Adriana laughed, accepting Elijahs hand. "We have cookies."

"I look forward to it."

"It's a new day in the Quarter, Hayley." Jackson was saying. "I agree with Oliver. If we're gonna coexist, we have to play ball. We'll send a representative with a gift."

"Mama!" Davinas voice shouted over the others, the nine hundred year old vampire smiling when Davina walked up to them.

"Little light." She cheered, clapping her hands together. "How are you?"

"Davina." Elijah nodded.

"Elijah." Davina practically growled, Adriana's smile quickly falling into a frown.

"How are you, sweetie?" Adriana pressed again, stepping in between her and Elijah.

"My friend Tim is still dead, and Klaus is still breathing." Davina said stonily, still glaring up at Elijah.

"Davina, that's enough." Genevieve said, walking to stand next to Adriana. "Elijah has been a patron to us this evening. We will show him respect. Thank you for all of this."

"This isn't for you." Adriana scoffed, turning her face to glare at the witch.

"You know as well as I that your people would never accept a truce unless we showed them some respect." Elijah continued. "So be it. Enjoy your party."

Adriana gave her daughter a small smile and Genevieve a frown, turning on her heel to walk further into the party, Elijah following behind her.

Adriana picked up a glass offered to her with a sigh, taking a large sip off it as they walked over to Klaus and Hayley, only to frown and put it down on a passing tray with a sneer.

 _Adriana has the sharpest senses, you have to take care of that, she'll suspect something's wrong before you even get inside._

The sound of drums filled the room as Adriana raised a hand to her temple, her vision blurring slightly.

 _A witch I once knew figured out how to subdue a vampire with a potion for a while, just for a minute, but they have to drink it willingly._

"Happy _Fête des Bénédictions_." The leader drummer started, his voice sounding hazy to her ears. "We have a message for all of you from Marcel Gerard."

The smell of blood filled her senses, choking her from the inside.

"Control yourselves." Elijah said, his voice sounding muffled even though he was right next to her. "This is a vulgar trick. We do not violate our agreement."

"Mama." Another voice seemed to whisper, the only thing she could hear clearly as the crowd started screaming. "Mama? What's wrong?"

In the back of her mind, Adriana could hear her heels clacking sharply on the pavement as she stumbled back, her lips spread apart in a silent scream.

"Adriana?"

"Mama?"

"Adriana!"

"Mama!"

Somewhere far away, a woman started screaming, and Adriana didn't know it was her.

Elijah could see red, it bled into his vision and took over his senses. He couldn't hear Hayley's question, or Klaus' sharp warnings for her to stay back. He could just see her, her slightly grey face.

Red.

It was everywhere.

Dripping from the ceilings, coming up from the floorboards, pouring down their throats, their own personal ambrosia.

"Adriana?" He could barely hear his own voice anymore, static filling his senses. "Adriana, this isn't funny, get up."

Nothing, not a twitch of her lips as she tried to hide a smirk.

"Adriana?"

Someone was screaming, having their life ripped away by a vampires fangs.

He didn't care.

He couldn't.

What could he feel when Adriana wasn't there? What was the point?

There was none.

What was all this red?

"Adriana?"

There was so much red.

He wanted her back, why wasn't she coming back?

She would stop the red, she always did.

She had to come back.

"Elijah?" Hayley asked, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"No!" Klaus shouted, but the damadge had already been done.

Hayley landed on her back, Elijah growling from where he glared down at her, Adriana bundled up in his arms.

"You're not Adriana." He growled at Hayley, sounding nothing like he would usually. "Give me back my Adriana. I want her back!"

"E-Elijah..." A weak voice stuttered out, a trembling hand reaching up and touching his cheek, ripping his glare away from Hayley. "L-little warrior..."

"Mine." Elijah growled when Hayley moved to walk slightly closer. "Mine to protect. Mine to love. Not yours. Mine. Who did this to you my gypsy, would you like me to kill them for you?"

Hayley only watched him, her mouth hanging slightly open.

"Welcome to the enigma of Elijah and Adriana." Klaus said gravely, tugging Hayley back as Elijah muttered extremely descriptive violence to his wife. "You'll think it was Adriana who was most violent. But no, it's my brother by far. Something happens to Adriana, something that he doesn't understand, and he just snaps. My brother has slaughtered millions to keep Adriana safe and happy, and he'll willingly slaughter millions more. When he gets like this, he goes back to the basic instinct of not trusting anyone. Just don't touch Adriana, or him, and maybe you'll survive with all your limbs intact."

"I'll slaughter him for you." Elijah was promising, rocking Adriana back and forth as Klaus dragged Hayley away. "I'll slaughter them all. Whoever gets in my way. I'll kill them, he should've known better, I've made millions of examples. But, no, they never learn do they my gypsy. Do they? They don't understand. I'll make them understand. Just give me the word, and I'll kill them all. Just one simple word, and they're all dead."

Adriana was silent, his wife only resting her head on his chest.

"Marcel!" A cold voice snarled out, Elijah barging into Marcels hideout, Thierry thrown to the floor. The Original suddenly appearing in front of Marcel, shoving him into the wall. "I warned yet still, you return to the French Quarter. Not only did you do that. But you attacked my wife. My wife! Mine!"

"You gonna kill me, Elijah?" Marcel asked, putting on the front of bravery. "Go ahead. But then you won't know what Klaus has got going with that witch in his pocket."

"Oh, whatever shall I do?" Elijah hummed, a cold grin forming across his face. "She told me I couldn't kill you, she cares too much about your well being. And we wouldn't want her to be upset with me. What to do? What to do…"

"Yeah." Marcel said, ignoring Elijahs rapidly decreasing sanity. "Make sure he tells you all about the secret meetings with the werewolves. That is, if he's still speaking to you once he knows that you killed me."

"What to do?" Elijah just kept muttering. "What to do? What to do…"

Out of nowhere, Elijah shoved his fist into Marcels chest, grabbing his heart. Doing the same to Thierry when he tried to jump in front of him.

"I can't kill you." Elijah sneered at Marcel, snapping his teeth at the weakling vampire. "It would make Adriana upset, which would make me upset, which would lead to the destruction of New Orleans. Making Adriana more upset, it's an endless cycle. So, I'll just settle for the next best thing."

With a tug, Elijah pulled out Thierry's heart, the boy collapsing to the ground.

"No." Marcel breathed out, Elijah letting him go with a reluctant scowl. "No, no."

"You live or you die according to my will." Elijah growled, dropping the heart in front of Marcel. "Try to remember that…"

 **"** Well, I see that you've already avenged the little sociopath." Klaus commented, seeing the blood on his elder brothers hands. "But judging by your look, you're still out for blood." Elijah only growled at him, glancing at the stairs that led to his and Adriana's room.

"Come on, then." Klaus sighed, noticing his brothers distasteful look. "What horrible deed has the bastard done this time?"

"Do you know, in the past, I actually appreciated the methods to your manipulations?" Elijah asked, still fidgeting from the need to go to Adriana. "However, now, here we are, poised on the brink of a new era which will benefit not only your home but your child, and you go behind my back to conspire with wolves."

"Conspire is hardly the word I would use for a family council." Klaus waved off. "Lest you forget, Elijah, they are my family as much as any Mikaelson. A name, in truth, I cannot even call my own."

"Adriana Mafiay is more of a Mikaelson then they will ever be." Elijah growled. "And yet you turned a blind eye when she was poisoned. How casually you disavow one thousand years of allegiance towards you."

"And now that I've found the remnants of my other family, am I to ignore their plight? I would've thought you'd support my desire to help them, when in doing so, I help Hayley, and the child."

"Do not question my allegiance towards that child." Elijah hissed, remembering Adrianas words before the chaos. "One little thing happens to that baby, and I won't be held accountable to what Adriana may do."

 _If one thing happens that I don't like, I'm taking that baby and running far away from this city._

"I'm warning you, keep your crazy wife away from my child." Klaus hissed, pointing a shaking finger in his direction.

"I'm warning you. I've forgiven you. I have stood by you. I've forsaken every single one of my desires in the name of your ridiculous redemption. No more. If I want something I'll take it. And nothing nothing will stand in my way. This is my wife you're threatening Niklaus, my city, and my family. I suggest you step aside. It is what you're best at."

 _"Elijah?" Adriana asked, playing with his hair, while he layed on the grass. "Why did you do it?"_

 _Elijah only hummed, lazily opening his eyes and looking up at her._

 _"What Adriana?"_

 _With a wave of her hand, Adriana gestured to the mutilated bodies around them, various legs and arms scattered everywhere, the flickering red flames around them spreading from hut to hut, the desperate cries and curses of the people long since carried away be the wind._

 _"They upset you." He answered, closing his eyes again. "I don't like it when you're upset. It makes me upset, which makes me angry, which leads to people dying. Simple."_

 _Adriana smiled, going back to playing with his hair, humming a small tune as she did. As if the clipped explanation was all she needed._

 _Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't, she didn't care._

 _They had each other, that was all that matters._

 _Come hell or high water, there would always be Elijah and Adriana._

"Elijah?" Adriana managed to croak out, trying to raise her head.

"It's me." Elijah stated, sitting on the bed next to where Adriana lay. "It's me, Adriana. You're okay, you're okay…"

"You were gone." She breathed out, her head resting against the pillow. "I missed you."

"I killed him for you." Elijah stated, holding out his blood soaked hands. "I ripped out Thierry's heart, he was the one that poisoned you. I did it for you, you should have seen Marcels face. He was so heartbroken. Are you sure you don't want me to kill him? I would make it slow and painful, I would drain him of all blood and them feed him to his past followers. Would you like that, my gypsy? Maybe it would finally teach everyone a lesson…"

Adriana reached out a shaking hand, taking his blood covered hands in her pale shaking ones, admiring the rich scarlet colour of Thierry's blood.

"No." Adriana finally said, dropping his hand. "Don't kill him."

Elijah hummed, laying down next to her.

"I warned Klaus." He admitted, turning his head to face her. "He doesn't understand. He never understands. I was hoping this baby could give him an inkling, but no, he still doesn't get it. I should kill him, I should find a dagger and shove it into his heart. Do you want me to do that gypsy girl? It would be my gift to you. We could shove him in a coffin like he did to us."

"Oh, my little warrior…" Adriana whispered, running her fragile hand down the side of Elijahs face. "No, it would break you."

"He made you upset." Elijah persisted, closing his eyes when her hand stopped at his cheek. "I don't like it when your upset."

"No, my little warrior." Adriana reprimanded, interlocking her fingers within his. "That's enough, go to sleep."

"I love you, gypsy girl." Elijah muttered, keeping a strong hold on her hand.

"I love you too, little warrior." Adriana whispered, closing her eyes and letting out a deep breath.

In the end, no matter what you do, no matter who you are, or what you may mean. It's always going to be Adriana.

It was Adriana over Katherine, it was her over Celeste.

It always comes back to them, with the blood on their hands and the darkness in their souls.

 _Love's got the best of me. Oh, baby you're making a fool out of me…_

" ** _Aren't you scared of my darkness, dear?" Hades asked, his eyes glinting dangerously._**

 ** _"No." Persephone replied, a smirk falling onto her features. "You haven't seen mine yet."_**


	17. Dog Puns

**AN: Happy first anniversary of this series! *Throws confetti in the air while trumpets blow in the distance*. Wow! It's really been a year since the first chapter of The Assisstant was published. I would just like to say a big thank you to anyone who has read my story over the course of a year. This ones dedicated to you! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Dog Puns**

* * *

 **In which Adriana was just being sarcastic**

* * *

"Can we help you find something?" Elijah asked his brother, Adriana entering the study just behind him.

"My, you appear to have lost something." Adriana hummed slowly, leaning on her desk and tilting her head to the side to watch him.

"Yes, in fact, I believe you can help me." Klaus nodded, halting his searching and turning to face them. "I'm looking for a book, about yea big, filled with our mother's most powerful spells. It appears to have been misplaced."

"How very mysterious." Elijah stated, sitting at his desk.

"Indeed. At first, I feared the witches had succeeded in their efforts to obtain it, _but considering_ their last attempt ended with me relieving a rather large, tattooed gentleman of his hands, I began to wonder if the thief wasn't a bit closer to home." Klaus paused in his ranting, noticing how neither of them were paying attention. "Don't make this harder than it needs to be, brother, Adriana."

"Well, admittedly, I did have a theory that your sudden interest in mother's grimoire was in some way related to whatever foolishness you've been conducting with the Crescent wolves." Elijah said, looking up from his notebook to glance at his brother. "Therefore, I took it upon myself to carefully place it where naughty little fingers could not pry."

"No offence to you of course, little puppy." Adriana mocked, continuing to pick at her nails while Klaus glared at her.

"And here I thought you two, of all people, would understand." Klaus breathed out. "I am simply trying to help those wolves! Play Samaritan to the abused. Champion to the underdog, so to speak."

"How splendidly noble of you." Elijah drawled out, Adriana snickering at Klaus' proclamation.

"Looking at for the unloved." She laughed, smirking at the hybrid. "My, next we'll know, you'll be buying little fairy cupcakes and having tea with the Queen."

"Have you ever considered that, like you, I am trying to keep Hayley safe?" Krause nearly whined. "Like you protect little Adriana. Using our mother's magic to empower her people so they are capable of protecting her?"

Adriana shifted her footing as Elijah stood up and walked to stand in front of his brother. She raised her head and narrowed her eyes at the two.

"Yes, unless, of course, they decide to seek retribution for decades held in exile, and Hayley will find herself in the middle of an uprising." Elijah sighed, still slightly on edge because of the prior events. "One that will only provoke further violence. You see, you risk turning New Orleans into a war zone, brother. I won't let that happen."

"The drums of war were beating long before we returned. I suggest you use a little less of this-" Klaus made a small talking gesture with his hands before pointing to his ears. _"-_ and a little more of these."

He fell backwards, landing onto his chair with a smirk. Ignoring Elijah's glare and Adriana's light laughter.

"You're making a grave mistake." Elijah stated later, Adriana standing slightly behind him with a deep frown on her face.

"So, you're just worried about us. Is that it?" Oliver asked from where the group stood across from them.

"Do you want us to be honest?" Adriana spoke up, laying a small hand on Elijahs arm. "Because I can go into detail about how I would rather murder you all in imaginative ways if you want to. I can, but I doubt your sanity would survive that. Just say the word."

"Look, Elijah, Adriana." Jackson started. "We know all about your brother's reputation, but if there is even a chance that these rings can help us take control of our curse-"

"Our gift." Oliver interrupted, Adriana scoffing at his behavior.

"Then, honestly, we don't care what he's really after. Won't have to." Jackson finished.

"I see." Elijah nodded, Adriana snarling slightly. "There are those in the Quarter who will consider this a great provocation."

"Apparently, most of them see us breathing the same way."

"Well, I can always remedy that, all it would take was a little snap." Adriana hummed, reaching out her hand and watch Oliver instinctively take a step back. "And down goes doggy. No?"

"Adriana." Elijah stated, glancing down at his wife. " _Per favore, finito._ "

" _Sì. Sì._ " Adriana nodded, stepping away from Oliver with a small smirk. "I'm not really going to hang you from a meat hook and laugh as he slowly dies of blood loss. Calm down."

This, however, did not calm down Oliver in the slightest.

"You signed a pledge, and you looked me in the eye as you did so." Elijah said to Hayley, Adriana returning to stand behind him.

"We don't want a fight, Elijah." Hayley replied meekly, noticing Adriana roll her eyes. "We just want a better life."

"Allegiance with my brother will guarantee you anything but that." Elijah scoffed, Adriana smirking at Hayley from behind him.

Adrianas head snapped to the side when the sound of a motorbike filled her ears, her eyes forming slits as her instincts put her on edge.

"What the hell?" Jackson muttered to himself, a man on a motorbike riding into the camp, stopping as the group approached him.

"Which one of you is in charge?" The man asked, leaning forward on his bike.

"Who's asking?" Jackson asked warily, Adriana's eyes widening in quick realisation.

"Elijah!" Adriana shouted, quickly pushing back the group as Elijah tackled the man, falling to the ground as the motorbike exploded, the sound of screams filling her ears.

Elijah immediately rushed to Adriana's side, the female rolling over and letting out a deep sigh, taking in the multiple tears in their clothing and how they were both covered in ash.

"I liked that suit." She only whined, Elijah tugging her to her feet with a small smirk.

"Hayley, are you okay?" Oliver asked, Hayley quickly getting up and looking around the camp.

Adriana was already in the crowd, knelt in between a small boy and a heavily injured man. She was slowly hishi g the child, running a fingers through his hair and wiping the dirt off his face.

"It's okay sweetheart." She murmured, picking up the boy and rocking him slightly, making sure he didn't see the man as she walked away. "It's okay. See? It's all over now. It's going to be okay. It's going to be okay…"

"Give him to Jackson, Adriana." Hayley interrupted, stepping toe to toe with the centuries old vampire. "We'll find someone to take care of him."

Reluctantly, Adriana handed the toddler to Jackson, giving the boy a small wave before turning to Hayley with a cold expression.

"You're keeping kids around here?" Adriana hissed, giving the other woman a disapproving click of her tongue. "Their children Hayley. They need to be in the city where they're safe and away from this war. Safe and protected, and not here when this sort of thing happens again."

"Adriana. Enough." Elijah drawled out, resting a hand on Adriana's shoulder. "Hayley knows, and I'm sure she won't make the same mistake again."

"Elijah." Hayley greeted, Elijah flat out ignoring her and started to examine the man.

"Wolfsbane." He stared, turning to his wife with determination across his face. "Adriana clean out everyone's wounds, we don't want anything to get infected.

"Right on it." Adriana nodded, mockingly saluting the two before disappearing into the crowd of injured wolves, her bracelet and wedding ring playfully glinting in the sunlight as she moved to help the wounded.

"I'll go help her." Elijah stated, passing Hayley without another word. "I suggest helping as well."

"Hayley." Elijah greeted on the phone, Adriana glancing at him before turning back to clean the wound on a mans face.

"I have to take care of something. I'll be back as soon as I can." Adriana heard Hayley say through the speaker.

"Where are you?" Elijah asked, glancing around him. "Hayley, you're people are dying"

"Elijah, I'm fine." Hayley waved off, Adriana shushing her patient as he cried louder, the wolfsbane having just missed his eye. "Just take care of the pack while I'm gone, please?"

"When did we agree to play babysitter?" Adriana sneered, passing Elijah as she dabbed another cloth into the bowl of water. "I never remember making that promise."

"Neither do I." Elijah grumbled, putting away his phone.

"Is she okay?" Jackson asked, ever the loyal puppy.

"Apparently, yes." Elijah nodded, Adriana scoffing and beginning to attend to her next patient.

"It's a good thing that bomb went off where it did. Could've been a lot worse. We all could've got killed." Jackson sighed, Adriana standing up and hastily looking around the camp.

"It's never just one bomb." She muttered to herself, eyeing the trees with newfound curiosity. "Why is it never just one bomb?"

"Unless..." She heard Elijah trail off, she too noticing the bomb planted under the RV. _"_ Get everyone out of here! Now!"

As if on cue, eight different explosions went off around the Bayou. Adriana squeaking and tugging her patient away hen an explosion went off near them. Distantly, she could hear Elijah growl in annoyance, the shorter woman whining and taking off her left shoe only to see one of the heels completely snapped off. Which a defeated sigh, she threw the ruined footwear away, taking of her right shoe and throwing it away as well, hearing it land somewhere deep in the forest.

"Well, that's just lovely then." She hissed sarcastically, folding her arms in front of them. "Barefoot in the wolves den could this possibly get any worse?"

As if the universe was playing a massive joke on her, another bomb went off. This one larger than the others, having enough force to knock her down to her knees.

"I was being sarcastic." She hissed to the scream filled air. "Sarcastic!"

"That wound should be healing by now." Elijah commented as he examined Eve.

"She never killed anyone, never activated the werewolf gene." Oliver informed them. "So she can't heal, not like us."

"My blood, it could heal her." Elijah stated.

"Vampire blood?" Oliver scoffed. "Trust me, she'd rather die. Look, we can't just let them get away with this."

"Well that's not very nice." Adriana muttered to herself, looking slightly offended. "I'm actually seriously offended."

"We don't even know who's to blame." Jackson said, getting to his feet.

"The hell we don't!" Oliver shouted. "And if we don't fight back, they'll just do it again."

Adriana watched with intrest as Oliver ran out in frustration, opening her mouth to say something.

"Don't even thing about Adriana." Elijah warned, knowing what she was going to say.

"I wasn't going to say anything bad." She defended.

"You were going to make a dog pun." He replied knowingly.

"As if I would stoop so low." Adriana huffed, a smirk filling her features. "I was just going to say that the wolves have some pretty _paw_ luck."

Adrianas laughter immediately filled the tent as Elijah groaned.

"They are counting on our doubts." Oliver was shouting. "That's right! Yeah! They are counting on our fears! That's right! Right!"

"You stayed." Hayley smiled at them, both of them watching Olivers dramatic speech with interest.

"Come morning, they will know that we are not cowards." Oliver continued.

"What's going on?" Hayley asked in confusion. "What is he doing?"

"We are not afraid!" Oliver was shouting.

"He's making a move for power in the wake of tragedy." Elijah informed lazily resting his head on top of Adriana's as he talked. "He's not alone. There was another attack after you left."

"What?" Hayley breathed out, rushing away from them and into the shack.

"They will want vengeance." Elijah muttered into Adriana's hair, the still shoeless woman nodding in understanding. "Blood for blood. And, unfortunately, in troubled times, people do not look for the best. But rather the loudest."

"Doesn't that remind you of someone?" Adriana hummed leaning back in Elijahs arms. "Oh sweet repetition, I have missed you."

"Hey! Hey!"

Adriana turned on her heel and walked away from the Bayou, Elijah following her with his hands with his pockets, leaving Olivers shouts far behind them.

 _"Does being a vampire make me a freak?" Adriana asked him one night, wiping away stray tears, Elijah kneeling in front of her. "First, a cast out witch, and now a vampire. Why can't the Gods just leave me alone?"_

 _"The wolves attacked you again didn't they?" Elijah asked, his voice deep with frustration. "Being a vampire doesn't make you a freak Adriana."_

 _Adriana stared solemnly at the wooden floor, moving her head so she didn't have to face Elijah._

 _"I'll kill them." Elijah growled to himself, standing up and turning away from the baby vampire. "I'll rip out their vocal cords before they can say anything else."_

 _"Elijah?" Adriana asked, furiously dabbing away more tears as Elijah stormed out the room. "Elijah, where are you going?"_

 _"Blood for blood." Elijah only muttered to himself, passing a confused Rebekah as he walked away. "You hurt my maid, you deal with me. Every single tear equals a torn out throat. Poor dogs. A lot of people are going to have to die."_

They both sat in silence as Elijah drove through New Orleans, Adriana watching the lights pass them by with wavering intrest. She turned to face him when he took a left turn, the soft glow of street lamps running over them as he drove.

"This isn't the way back home." She said, looking behind them and then back to him. "Where are we going?"

"I want to show you something." Elijah waved off, not taking his eyes away from the road.

Adriana turned back to stare out the window, crossing her legs as she leaned back in the leather chair, having found a pair of flats for her bare feet in the back seat.

Elijah slowly pulled up to some fountain, Adriana getting out the car and looking around her.

There was a simple fountain surrounded by a few acres of grass. It was easily three times her size, clear water flowing out from the top and flowing through several clean stone basins before falling into the circle pool of water at the bottom. Silver and copper pennies twinkled up at her from the light the fountain emitted, the serene sight making her smile gently.

"I found it a couple of days ago." Elijah spoke up, Adriana turning around to see him leaning against his car. "I though you would like it, seeing as what today is."

"What's today?" Adriana asked, her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.

A soft smile fell across Elijahs face, slowly reaching into his pocket and drawing out a small square box, passing it to her when he stopped next to her.

"I know you told me to stop doing this centuries ago." Elijah stated, Adriana taking the box with a frown. "But I barely remember mine, I know it was in the summer, but I don't know when. So, I just don't want you to fully forget yours." Adriana opened the box, her eyes widening when she saw the expensive necklace resting inside. "Happy birthday, Adriana."

The necklace was silver, a simple A dangling from the chain, the rest of the letters of her name imprinted on the side of the letter. It was set in a rich velvet, the sight making Adriana smile, her mouth falling open when she saw the note sewn on to the top of the box.

 _Look Up._

Her head wrenched up, Elijah smiling and bringing out another box, clearing his throat and opening the tiny box without looking up at her.

Set in satin, was a small engagement ring. A medium sized diamond stood up upon the band of silver, two small amethysts set beside it. With her keen eyes, Adriana could see the clasps that held the diamond was fashioned into tiny hearts, the glow from the fountain making the jewels sparkle invitingly.

"You don't have an engagement ring." Elijah muttered to himself, staring off into the distance as Adriana took the ring out of the box. "And seeing as it's common courtesy nowadays, I thought I would-"

Elijah cut himself off as Adriana tackled him into a hug, the ring resting above her golden wedding band. Elijah wrapped his hands around Adriana's waist, the small vampire, standing on her tiptoes and pressing her lips against his cheek for a short moment.

"I love you." Adriana proclaimed with a wide smile, her hands forcing Elijah to face her. "Oh, my little warrior. My king. How you surprise my sometimes…"

"I love you too, my queen." Elijah mumbled into her hair, pressing a small kiss on the brown tresses. "I love you too."

The Gods play cards. Adriana contemplated, twisting the engagement ring around her finger as she looked out the window and saw the city brighten up with night life. But fate, however, plays chess. And you don't even consider, until its too late, that's it's been playing with two queens all along.

Shifting her head Adriana leaned back in her seat and smiled softly.

 _Okay then fate._ She thought, accepting Elijah's hand as he helped her out of the car and this time not letting it go. _I'll play your little game. But be aware, the Mafiay are known to cheat. We'll do anything as long as it means we win. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but we eventually win._


	18. Stubborn

**AN: Hello everyone! Sorry for the wait! Anyway, this was a nightmare to put together. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Stubborn**

* * *

 **In which we have a blast from the past**

* * *

 _Adriana sat alone, a small mug raised to her lips. The warm sun shone through the crystal window, a childish laughter filling her ears, a small child running around the large garden, their face not visible to her eyes._

 _"Pretty, is it not?" A deep voice spoke from behind, her eye narrowing as she placed the mug down on the real wood table. "Hello Adriana."_

 _"You're dead." She muttered to herself, hiding her hands under the table. "You can't be hear. You can't be."_

 _"But that's the problem, isn't it?" The deep voice spoke once more, golden tan hands entering her vision. "You're just so... What is it the English say? Oh. Stubborn."_

 _"You're dead." Adriana repeated, her head hung low as she avoided the mans muddy green eyes. "Dead. Dead. Dead."_

 _"And that's the other problem." The man chuckled, sitting down in the seat across from her. "Come on Adriana, my little dark angel. Look at me."_

 _Reluctantly, Adriana raised her head, connecting with the eyes that she had never wanted to meet again._

 _"Hello, Demetri." She spat, meeting the eyes of Davina's father, clenching her fists even tighter as a smirk filled his features. "How's things in hell?"_

 _"Warm as ever." Demetri smirked, glancing out towards the garden once more. "You should visit sometime."_

 _He looked almost the exact same. Golden blonde hair, now cut in a more modern style, sat upon his head. Muddy green eyes that matched her daughters perfectly surveyed her figure, perfectly muscled arms and tan hands leaning against the table as he continued to watch the child on the other side of the window. Straight, white teeth glimmering slightly in the sunlight. He wore a plain white shirt and faded jeans, looking like he had just walked off the cover of a magazine._

 _"This isn't real." She muttered once more, dragging her eyes away from him and staring down at the table. "Not real. It's just a dream."_

 _"So stubborn." The son of Apollo muttered, picking at his nails and watching her. "I don't want to kill you Adriana or our daughter, in fact, I want the opposite."_

 _"My daughter." Adriana growled. "You had nothing to do with her. Just as you requested."_

 _"Okay. Okay. Be that way." He sighed, raising his hands in mock defeat. "But, admit it Adriana, this little fantasy has played in your head more times than you can count."_

 _Adriana inhaled a deep breath, hearing the laughter of the girl draw nearer._

 _"The fantasy of never meeting any of the Mikaelson brothers." Demetri continued, Adriana hearing soft foot steps nearing the door behind her. "Of never being married to Elijah. The fantasy of having a normal life far away from them. Of owning a large house, of being a normal human woman."_

 _Adriana tried to blink away the tears, Demetri leaning forward more, the door opening behind her._

 _"Of just living with our child, watching her grow, safe away from harm." Demetri pressed on. "That's your one deepest darkest secret. The fact that you just want a normal human life with your daughter. Far away from the Mikaelsons. Let's be honest with each other Adriana, you know deep down, that Elijah holds affection for Hayley."_

 _"Papa?" A soft voice asked behind her. "Won't you and Mama come and play with me?"_

 _"Come on Adriana." Demetri egged on. "Just one look at your daughter wouldn't hurt..."_

 _"If I look it makes this real." Adriana stated through gritted teeth, her head bowed low. "I don't want this to be real."_

 _"Papa, what's wrong with Mama?" The small girl asked, Adriana feeling a small hand resting on the back of her chair. "Mama?"_

 _"Nothing, Cienna." Demetri smirked, leaning back in his seat. "She's just being a little stubborn with Papa."_

 _"Mama? Won't you come and play." Cienna asked, Adriana seeing brown, wavy hair entering her vision as she stood up suddenly. "Mama?"_

 _"Get. The. Hell. Out. Of. My. Head!" She screamed at Demetri instead, the blonde male only watching her with a bored expression._

Adriana Mafiay shot up into a sitting position in her bed. Her breaths coming out in short pants.

"Seems rather uncivilized to laugh and dance around the body of a loved one." Klaus muttered grumpily, Adriana leaning back in her seat and scowling.

"Yes, far better to practice your process of grief, Niklaus." Elijah stared sarcastically as he poured himself a drink. "Denial, rage, and hoarding coffins in basements."

"Play nice boys." Adriana muttered, twizeling the new ring around her finger while she spoke. "It's rude to poke at a dead mans grave."

"I will warn you, Hayley," Elijah said as Hayley sat down with the three of them. "Niklaus is in a _spectacularly_ foul mood today."

"Sod off." The man in question grumbled.

"What's the deal with these moonlight rings?" Hayley asked. "Oliver's trying to set a revolution every five seconds. People are scared, angry, and frankly, I'm tired of stalling."

"It's a day of peace, Hayley." Kaia's said, Adriana leaning forward and watching them both with a bored expression. "Try and enjoy it. And, in the meantime, with all manner of unknown enemies conspiring against our family, you'll move back in with us."

"Awesome!" Hayley drawled out sarcastically. "Then, we can do that thing where you lock me in the tower, I escape, there's drama, and then you two both realize I'm _very_ capable of looking after myself."

"The rings are in progress." Krause said, frustration lacing his words. "I will live up to my word. We will find and punish whoever launched the attack on the Bayou, and you _will_ return to the compound for your own safety! But, right now." Adriana pushed herself back once more as Klaus snatched the bottle resting right in front of her. "I'm gonna finish this bottle, and then the next, in the hopes of drowning the demon who has chosen today to haunt me." Adriana stared at him in confusion as Klaus drank straight from the bottle. _"_ Cheers, Mikael. Impeccable, _Freudian_ timing."

"Elaborate." Elijah said, obviously stunned. "Have you dreamt of our father?"

"I'm not drunk enough to deal with this." Adriana muttered, snatching the bottle from Klaus and emptying the rest of its contents into her glass.

"Go ahead, have a good laugh."

"I can assure you there is no piece of this that I find even remotely amusing, Niklaus. Especially considering I've been dreaming of him, too."

"What?"

"If you are also seeing him..." Elijah trailed off, looking up to see Genevieve enter. _"_ Perhaps our elusive, unknown enemy is orchestrating a further attack?"

"Well, then." Klaus said, turning to stare at Genevieve. "What better way to punctuate a day of peace than by killing someone?"

Leaning forward in her seat, Adriana raised the glass to her lips and swallowed it's contents in one go.

She stood next to Elijah on the balcony, watching the party below them with little interest.

"Funerals are such odd things." Adriana muttered, surveying the events with a tilt of her head. "Dancing around a cold stone block, trying to find their emotions at the bottom of a glass. Ignoring how a loved one will never be seen again. It's almost... cute."

"They don't live long enough to truly enjoy life." Elijah agreed with a simple nod of his head. "Perhaps, that will be their downfall."

"How poetic." Adriana sighed, resting her head in her hand. "Maybe it is true, what they say, ignorance is bliss."

"Genevieve." Elijah greeted, both of them turning to face the witch.

"I asked around." The witch stated bluntly. "It's not just your father. The purgatory where supernatural souls are trapped is disintegrating."

"What do you mean, 'disintegrating'?" Elijah asked, interest flickering across Adriana's features.

"She's right, more or less." Klaus confirmed, entering the room. "It's actually _imploding._ A made a call to a rather reluctant Bennett witch in Mystic Falls who said the same thing. The dead are being torn away into nothingness. And, they're not interested in going quietly."

"So, you're saying that our father, faced with permanent extinction, has decided to spend his remaining tormenting us?" Elijah scoffed, Adriana lowering her head in cold realization. "How delightful!"

Oh, but Elijah. She thought, her hands curling in on themselves. You're father is not the only vengeful ghost this world has to offer.

"Well, on the plus side, we'll soon be rid of his abhorrent soul forever." Klaus grinned. "And what a good riddance that will be!"

"So, am I in the clear, Elijah?" Genevieve piped up with a sigh. "Or is there a new conspiracy you two would like to threaten me over?"

"Give him five minutes." Adriana spoke up, turning her attention back to the crowd below.

"Nothing springs to mind at this precise moment..." Elijah trailed off.

"Oh, gee. Thanks." The witch huffed, turning to Klaus. "I have to get back to the girls. Perhaps tomorrow, after the funeral, you and I could spend some time together. Alone?"

"I suppose we'll have to see."

"Please tell me you've designed a stronger method to control the witch than playing hard-to-get?" Elijah asked once Genevieve had left.

"Well, I've always been partial to the classics..." Krause trailed off, a smirk filling his features.

"How predictable." Adriana stated.

"You alright?" Elijah asked Hayley, as all four of them walked with the parade. "You look-"

"A hundred months pregnant and pissed off at the world?" Hayley asked, cutting him off, Adriana snickering from next to him.

"I was going to say you look lovely." Elijah smiled gently, the smile on Adriana's face wavering slightly.

"Do you think I was the target of those bombings?" Hayley asked.

"Of course you were the target!" Kalisz exclaimed "Were _I_ to wage a war on the wolves, you'd be my first kill! I would string you up, for all your worshipers to see."

"I believe that was my brother's way of telling you he'd like you to return home with us." Elijah stated, turning to his brother. _"_ Perhaps try a different approach, Niklaus, with fewer references to murder?"

"Aw." Adriana whined, looking up at her husband. "But that's the fun part."

"Adriana." Elijah warned, glancing down at her as he adjusted the collar of his coat.

"As much as I would hate to throw you over my shoulder, and drag you kicking and screaming to the compound, we both know I will." Klaus smirked. "For the sake of my child."

"One bad dream, and _suddenly,_ you want to be a responsible daddy!" Hayley whined, Adriana and Elijah watching them carefully as Klaus wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close.

"Let me put this into perspective." Klaus whispered to her. "My father lived to torment me. It is not my intention to become him. This cycle of misery ends with my child."

"You forgot one thing in your little attempt to plead your case- she's not _your_ child." Hayley said with a fake smile, tugging her arm away from him and walking away from them. "She's _ours."_

"Very heartfelt, Niklaus." Elijah sigh in resignation.

"I bloody hate funerals." The hybrid grumbled.

"Don't we all." Adriana muttered to herself, following after Hayley as she approached Cami, not wanting to be left alone with the passive aggressive brothers.

"Cami!" Hayley called, approaching the blonde,

"Hayley, Adriana, hi." Cami smiled, waving slightly as they approached.

Hayley turned around with surprise as the brunette female walked towards them, adjusting the cuffs of her white trench coat. Her tall pitchblack heels clacking along the floor as she walked.

"Hello, Camille." Adriana nodded, stopping next to Hayley and folding her hands in front of her.

"Hi." Hayley greeted. "I know you don't know me, I just wanted to say that- I'm sorry about your uncle. He was really... good to people like me during the storm, and I really appreciated that."

"Thank you." Camille blinked, realization dawning on her features. "You want something, do you?"

"Don't look at me." Adriana shrugged, turning to the pregnant wolf. "I'm not the desperate one."

"I'm sorry about the timing..." Hayley trailed off awkwardly, though her lips thinned slightly at Adriana's comment. "I was just wondering, if before he died, he said anything weird about Francesca Correa? I think that she may have been involved in an attack in the Bayou. If you hear anything-"

Adriana tsked in disapproval, her eyes turning to Camille as she started to speak.

"Look, Hayley?" Cami paused for a second, trying to gather her thoughts. "I'm trying, mostly failing, to stay out of all this stuff, but... she's a real bitch. So, yeah, if I hear anything, I'll let you know."

"Thanks. And again, sorry about your uncle."

"You, too." The blonde nodded, Adriana following Hayley as she walked away. Frowning when the wolf started to cough.

"Hayley?" She asked, catching the wolf as she stumbled. "What's wrong?"

Hayley's hand drew away from her mouth, Adriana's mouth falling open when she saw the blood.

" _Dio._ " The Italian muttered, Hayley only continueing to cough. "Elijah! Klaus! By the Gods. Help!"

Adriana's shouting increased as Hayley collapsed in her arms.

" _Coeur blessé, battre avec mwen. Coeur blessé, battre avec mwen._ " Genevieve chanted, Adriana softly pressing the damp bundle of chamomile against Hayley's forehead.

"Come on!" Klaus cried out, biting into his wrist and letting the blood fall into her mouth, looking towards his brother in fear when it didn't work.

"She's still not breathing. It's not working!" Elijah screamed, angrily throwing the table into the wall, shattering it into pieces. Adriana only watched him sadly, Demetri's words echoed get in her mind.

 _Let's be honest with each other Adriana, you know deep down, that Elijah holds affection for Hayley._

Lowering her head, Adriana refused to even acknowledge the tears she quickly blinked away from sight.

" _Coeur blessé, battre avec mwen."_ Genevieve continued to chant, Elijah pacing the bedside.

"I'm taking her to a real doctor." Elijah stated, moving to pick up Hayley.

"If you move her from here, my spell will break." Genevieve refused. "There won't be enough time to get her to a hospital."

"She's trying her best, Elijah." Adriana spoke up, Hayley's head resting on her lap.

"You don't get to talk." Elijah hissed running a hand through his head. "You hate Hayley, you probably wanted this!"

Her eyes darkened dramatically, a stone film entering them.

"I would never purposely put a child in harms way." Adriana hissed back.

"Will the baby survive if delivered now?" Klaus asked frantically, lunging towards Hayley's body. "I'll rip it out of her myself!"

Adriana only watched them, as Elijah stepped in front of his brother.

"Hayley will bleed to death!" Genevieve cried.

"I won't lose that baby." Klaus persisted.

"I won't lose _either_ of them." Elijah growled.

"You're both being ridiculous." Adriana snapped, watching the argument with a sneer. "While you stand here arguing, the wolf is dying. Not that I really care about that. But I just got this city back, and the one little hope we have at being a family again, I'm not letting that go so easy. Genevieve, continue."

 _"...battre avec mwen. Coeur blessé, battre avec mwen."_ The witch continued to chant.

"Hayley and the baby are fine." Genevieve said, several minutes later, Adriana sat next to Elijah. "I'd take her to a doctor once she's gotten some rest, if you want, but she's in the clear. I'll see myself out."

"Genevieve." Elijah spoke up, Genevieve turning around in surprise. "Thank you for your help."

"You're welcome."

"You tore my sister from my family." Elijah continued, Adriana watching them both in silence. "I cannot forgive that. However, I may be inclined to show a degree more kindness if you could help me with a slight... issue."

"Anything."

"When the baby arrives, Hayley will once again transform with the full moon." Genevieve nodded,following what's he was saying. "Now, I would like to create for her a gift- a ring of empowerment, something to control this curse."

"What kind of spell would-"

"A spell of my mother's, from her grimoire." Elijah cut her off. "Which, as I understand, you have been rather eager to obtain."

Adriana stood up and left the room silently, the clack of her stilettos echoing, the shouts of the crowd fading from her hearing as she continued to walk.

She watched Elijah approach Hayley in the shadows, a small frown marring her face.

"If I died and someone threw a party, I would be so pissed." Hayley smiled.

"You almost did. In a thousand years, I can't recall a time I felt so... frightened." Elijah said smoothly, Adriana's frown growing deeper.

"Elijah..." Hayley trailed off, kissing him passionately after a small moments of hesitation.

Adriana's frown automatically turned into a sneer, watching them break away and Elijah quickly vanishing before Hayley could open her eyes.

When Hayley finally walked away, she brought out a small compact mirror from her coat pocket, taking a small step out of the shadows as she did.

Raising it to her face, Adriana could see the single crystal tear fall from her eye. Making a path down her face and dripping off her chin. Another quickly followed, only for her to angrily wipe it away. The words continuing to play through her head like a broken record.

 _The fantasy of never meeting any of the Mikaelson brothers. Of never being married to Elijah._

 _Let's be honest with each other Adriana, you know deep down, that Elijah holds affection for Hayley._

 _Elijah holds affection for Hayley._

 _Affection for Hayley._

 _Hayley._

Angrily, Adriana snapped shut the compact. Blinking away the tears that pooled in her eyes.

Looking down at the ring Elijah had given her, she ripped it off. Turning on her heel and walking to track down Elijah.

"I'm right here, Adriana." Her husband spoke up, stood next to the fire, away from the main crowd. "You have something to say?"

"Yeah, I do actually." His wife growled, her eyes flashing with the fire. "Hayley kissed you. And you didn't pull away. Didn't reprimand her. You wanted to start over? With me? Well, here's what I say to that."

With a casual smirk, Adriana dropped the new ring into the orange flames, Elijah only raising an eyebrow in slight surprise.

"You want to play this game Elijah? White always does move first in chess." She growled, stepping closer to him. "Back Pawn one space forward. Game on."


	19. Once Upon A Time

**AN: This just couldn't wait! This chapter is really long because I crammed in two episodes in one- apologies if it appears rushed. I tried my best. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Once Upon A Time**

* * *

 **In which we win a bet**

* * *

"Mama?"

Adriana looked up from her book, pushing back her sunglasses and blinking in surprise to see Davina stood there, fiddling with her thumbs and glancing over her shoulder.

Adriana leaned back on the park bench, seeing a couple pushing a pram out of the corner of her eye, cooeing over the child within.

"Davina?" Adriana asked, closing her book. "You haven't spoken to me in a while, can I help you?"

Davina glanced over Adriana's shoulder once more, eyes focusing on something in the distance. Adriana turned to look, only to frown when she didn't see anything there.

"Davina?" She asked again, eyes narrowing in suspicion as she turned to face her daughter. "Is everything okay?"

"What was my fathers name?" Davina asked hesitantly, turning to face her once more.

With a sigh, Adriana slid down her sunglasses once more and turned back to her book, "As far as I am concerned, you don't have a father."

"But I did." Davina persisted. "Mama, please, a name. That's all I want."

"What has brought this on, Davina?" Adriana asked, trying to keep the frustration out of her voice as she looked up at Davina. "You never wanted to know before. Why now?"

"Curiosity." She answered quickly, slightly too quickly for Adriana's liking.

"Fine." The elder Mafiay female huffed, narrowing her eyes even more behind her sunglasses. "I don't see the harm. His name was Demetri. No last name. Does that satisfy your curiosity?"

" _Grazie Mama_."

" _Prego_." Adriana nodded, standing up from the bench. "I need to get going. Call me if anything pops up."

With that, Adriana turned around on her heel, leaving Davina standing there.

"By the Gods." A deep male voice muttered, a tan blonde haired male suddenly appearing on the bench Adriana had just got off. "I knew that she'd become cold- but that's some dramatic temperature change. You know Cienna-"

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Davina hissed at the man quietly. "My name isn't Cienna. You may have made me, but I'm not your daughter. I'm not Cienna. Not anymore."

"Aren't you?" Demetri drawled out, a single eyebrow raising slightly. Reminding Davina a little too much of Adriana. "Yet, you still refer to Adriana as your mother, and you still draw those little snippets of memory you get into that sketchbook of yours. You get that from me, you know, Adriana can't draw."

"I'm not Cienna." Davina growled out, trying desperately to stare him down. To Demetri, she looked like a little lost puppy.

"Really?" Demetri hummed, tilting his head and leaning forward. "Because, as far as I know, sweet innocent little _Davina_ can't speak a word of Italian. But we've been speaking it since I've arrived, and you haven't even noticed."

" _Rifiuto. Io non aver-_ " Only just realizing what she was saying, a hand flew to Davina's mouth, her eyes widening dramatically.

" _Sì_." Demetri nodded, disappearing before Davina could fully blink. _"Cìao, Cienna._ Something's whispering in the wind, and coming round the corner. And, no offense, but it's far more interesting than you. May we meet again, _il mio bambina._ "

"Am I interrupting something?" Adriana asked, seeing Elijah and Hayley sat close together as she entered the compound. "Should I come back in a few hours?"

"You're interrupting my peace, Adriana." Elijah instantly retorted, not moving, as Jayely put some space between them, her eyes flickering back and forth between the couple. "Now you're back from scaring old ladies, you can actually help me somewhat."

"I live to serve." Adriana drawled out sarcastically, bowing deeply.

"I'm glad I got some use out of your turning." Elijah muttered to himself.

"Excuse me!" Adriana shrieked following Elijah out of the door. "Would you like to repeat that?"

"Why? Are you going deaf?"

"I was just about to be helpful and point out your grey hairs as well." Adriana huffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder as they walked. "Don't worry. It's perfectly natural for a man your age."

"Hey!" Adriana shouted, clapping her hands together when she saw Jackson tied to a chair. "That didn't take very long."

"Accolades to Marcel, he did quite a dance across the bridge of your nose." Klaus commented, grabbing Jacksons chin as Adriana examined the decoration of bombs beside Jackson. "Where is he now?"

"Nowhere to be found." Elijah stated, opening a crate to find another explosive. _"_ Although, he did leave us a delightful parting gift."

"Maybe it's his way of saying he wants to be cremated." Adriana said, looking at the bomb with a bored expression. "Alive."

"What about the stones?" Klaus asked the still tied up wolf.

"I don't know." Jackson answered frantically, making Adriana roll her eyes. "Untie me, I'll help you find them!"

"Sit still!" Elijah commanded, kneeling down to examine the triggers on Jacksons crate, Klaus looking into another crate. "You'll be freed as soon as it's safe."

"Our focus should be the stones." Klaus said. Considering Jackson's competition for Hayley's affection, I think you'd agree.

"Disregard my brother." Elijah told Jackson. "Over the course of the last millennium, his capacity for tact has somewhat diminished."

"When did he ever have any tact?" Adriana scoffed, pulling at a chair and sitting across from Jackson. "Hello there. We've never officially met have we? I'm Adriana Mafiay, my husband kissed your- what is Hayley to you?'

Jackson only stared at her.

"Well, that's typical, isn't it? Marcel fills a room with dynamite, and yet, _I'm_ the tactless one." The younger brother mumbled.

"I recognize these explosives from the attack on the Bayou. Could you remind me, again, why you believed that Marcel was innocent?"

"Remind me to ask him before I pull out his innards." Klaus shrugged, gesturing around him when he opened yet another crate. "Okay. Exercise extreme caution in this general area. Bit of a mess."

"Impeccable timing." Elijah greeted, answering his phone when it started ringing.

"What's going on?" Hayley asked on the other side.

"Jackson is fine." Elijah stated, glancing at the wolf and then at Adriana. "He's...a little tied up right now. Can we call you back?"

 _"_ Oh, that doesn't bode well." Klaus muttered when the light on the bomb turned green.

"Are you trying to kill us?" Jackson asked angrily.

"Elijah, tell me what's going on, now!"

"Hello Hayley." Adriana cheered snatching the phone away from Elijah. "It's Adriana. Been kissing anymore married men? I'm not bitter, I'm just asking. Okay, maybe I'm a little bitter. And, by a little, I mean I may or may not have ripped your room and Elijah's to shreds. Details aren't really that important. Bye for now!"

With a sneer, Adriana pressed the hang up button, cutting of Hayley's bumbling protests.

"This is for Thierry" Klaus read aloud, hearing this Adriana's eyes widened. Immediately disappearing from the warehouse with Klaus, Elijah and Jackson. Turning around just in time to see it go up in flames.

"Thank god you're alive!" Hayley shouted when they arrived, running up and hugging Jackson. _"Thank_ you."

"We're fine, too." Klaus huffed, gesturing to himself and an annoyed Adriana behind him. "Thanks for asking."

"Deeply humbled by your concern." Adriana mumbled under her breath.

"What about the stones?"

"Scattered across the bed of the Mississippi, I'd imagine." Elijah sighed.

"Marcel's not a fool." Klaus said, pouring himself a drink. "He knows an empowered werewolf army would mean the end of vampires in New Orleans. The explosion is his way of saying he means to prevent that. For all the good it'll do him."

"Well, it did him pretty damn well, didn't it?" Hayley scoffed, turning to Elijah.

"This is my fault." Jackson said, hanging his head in shame. "I'll find a way to fix it."

"No, Jack, you're hurt." Hayley consoled, rubbing his shoulder affectionately. "No one's blaming you."

Adriana let out a sharp bark of laughter at this, Hayley turning to her with narrow eyes.

"I'm blaming you." Klaus growled out, cutting off Hayley before she could say nothing. "Those stones will be hard to replace. Fortunately, I always have a backup plan."

"You can't _seriously_ mean her." Hayley practically shrieked, as Francesca and her little group of men in suits walked into the compound. "She's a gangster!"

"I'm offended." Adriana blinked, running her hand through her hair as she whistled lowly. "Honestly, you'd think everyone would recognize the creator of the original Mafia. Honestly, I'm surprised no one clued in already."

"You created the Mafia." Hayley choked out.

"I got bored. And maybe slightly to vain." Adriana Mafiay shrugged, running a hand through her hair.

"You trashed my room." Hayley hissed at her, stepping forward slightly.

"You kissed my husband." Adriana snarled back, her eyes darkening slightly.

"Now that you have both finished with your cat fight." Klaus sighed, drawing everyone's attention back to the matter at hand. "I Francesca more as a means of procuring rare items at short notice. Greetings, Ms. Correa! I see you've brought company.

"These are my brothers." Francesca introduced simply. "I always include them in delicate business matters. Fellas, meet Mr. Mikaelson."

"Please, call me Klaus." The brother in question smiled. "All my friends do."

"You have friends." Adriana blinked, her eyes flickering up from her phone, flickering back to it when Klaus turned to glare at her.

"I don't know if I'd call us _friends_." Francesca denied, reaching into the briefcase her brother was holding and pulling out a small drawstring bag. "But, if you and Marcel are planning on having a little throw-down, I'd prefer my family to be on the same side as the inevitable victor. Plus, Adriana offered a sizable amount of help from her children if we ever needed it."

All eyes turned to Adriana at this, the short female not looking up from where she was rapidly typing something into her phone.

"Then, you have what I asked for?"

"Not enough for an army _at such short notice_ , but it's a start." Francesca stated, holding out the bag.

"Strange, I wasn't aware that she was familiar with our plan." Elijah said, finally joining the conversation.

"My price for doing business is full disclosure. Your brother complied."

"And what does the Human Faction stand to benefit from all of this?" He asked, Adriana looking up in curiosity.

"I only want us to solidify our allegiance to the ruling class." Francesca answered. "It's good for business."

"If only everyone shared your capacity for reason." Klaus said, examining the stones.

"Sadly, they don't. Marcel is being especially vindictive. I'm worried he might come after me, or my family, just for meeting with you." Francesca said, taking in a deep breath. "It might be in our best interests if we combine our efforts."

"So be it! The more bodies we have to defend the compound, the better. Let's get started, shall we?"

 _"Tua virtuse."_ Genevieve chanted, holding out her hands _. "Materi lunare tua virtuse. Materi lunare tua virtuse."_

"My people say Marcel is on the move, and he's bringing friends." Francesca said, rushing into the room, Adriana looking up from where she was watching Genevieve carefully.

"Get Hayley to safety." Klaus said to Elijah, quickly rushing away, Adriana rising from her sitting position with a frown.

"Come with me." Elijah told Hayley, grabbing her arm.

"No." Hayley denied, gesturing to Genevieve. "Some needs to watch her. _"_

"You should help Klaus." Francesca told Elijah. "My brothers and their security detail won't be much against a _vampire army._ I'll stay with Hayley."

"Go, Elijah." Hayley nodded. "And don't hold back."

"What is he? Your dog." Adriana scoffed, flexing her finger and rolling her neck from where she stood. "I've been itching for a fight since we arrived. I'll go."

"It's a lot to take on by yourself, Adriana." Elijah frowned, challenge entering his eyes.

"How much are you willing to bet on that?' Adriana asked innocently, not even blinking when Elijah stepped closer.

"One of the estates." Elijah answered without hesitation.

"That's a large bet."

"Scared, Adriana?"

"If anyone is going to be scared, little warrior, it should be you." Adriana stated. "I want the manor in England."

With a large smirk, Adriana left, the room, Elijah following her without a word.

"I thought this lot had learnt their lesson!" Klaus smirked, looking at the crowd of vampires that surrounded them.

"Well." Elijah commented. "They're not exactly renowned for their genius."

"So, where's the ringleader of this circus?" He asked the crowd, turning to face the other side of the room. _"_ Too afraid to show his face?" "I'm here!" Marcel called, appearing on the balcony. "And I'm gonna offer you one last chance to pack your stuff and get the hell out of my town." "You'll allow your men to rush to their deaths? _Again?"_

"Not very smart of you." Adriana agreed, tilting her head in morbid curiosity.

"Look around." Marcel only said. "Every vampire in the Quarter is coming out! They want their city back. No surrender this time. You're gonna have to kill us all."

"Okay." Klaus said, unfazed. "I think I'll start with _you"_

"Fine." Marcel nodded. "Then, come get me." "If you don't kill him, I will." Elijah told his brother as Marcel disappeared. "He's mine." Klaus only growled, he too disappearing. "This won't take long."

Adriana and Elijah stood alone with the crowd of angry vampires, the female only giggling in childish amusement?

 _"_ Play time…" Adriana sang, rolling up her sleeves and blowing away a strand of hair.

"Gentleman." Elijah smiled sadistically, unbuttoning his jacket confidently. "Shall we?"

And with those simple words, the fight began.

Adriana turned, knocking the heads of two charging vampires together, kicking another in the stomach. Trying to ignore the strong feeling of slime that coated her fingertips. Another, she roundhouse kicked his head clean off, turning on her heel to dodge a punch sent by a blonde female. Shoving the blonde into another vampire while ripping out her and another's heart.

The fight dragged on like this.

Snap.

Kick.

Dodge.

Rip.

Snap.

Kick.

Dodge.

Rip.

After a few minutes, she head Elijah's voice call out in boredom, "Are we done?"

"Aww." Adriana drawled out, slamming her foot down on a severely injured vampires neck. "What a shame."

"He was already dead, Adriana." Elijah tsked, staring at her with a bemused expression,

"He was twitching." The female vampire shrugged, turning around when Francesca entered the room.

"Well, nice job! Saved me the trouble of killing all these vampires myself!" Francesca cheered, Elijah and Adriana staring at her in confusion, only to be pounced at by her brothers.

"What the- hey! That's my job!" Adriana cried out held back by two of the brothers while Elijah's neck was viciously bitten into by the other two. "Elijah!"

Adriana snapped her eyes shut, Elijah limply dropped to the ground, her movements slowly becoming more and more fatigued. Eventually her head dropped back limply, the two brothers that were holding her dropping her to the ground, the dark haired female not moving a muscle.

"Where is she?" The low, deathly growl, filled the room, Elijah stalking into the room. Adriana following after him with a reluctant sneer on her face. _"_ Where's Hayley?"

"He doesn't have her!" Cami shouted, when Elijah took a threatening step closer to Marcel. "Please! I know you don't trust him, but you know I wouldn't lie. He doesn't have her."

"Someone does." Elijah snarled like a caged wild animal. "Where is my brother?"

"I left him in the street." Marcel painted weakly, Adriana only now noticing the bite that marred his body. "He was gonna kill me. And then he got jacked up by some witch's spell."

"Genevieve." Elijah said furiously.

"You have to save her." Cami begged, frowning when Elijah pulled out his wallet from his pocket. "Wait; what are you doing?"

With a small growl of annoyance, Elijah handed the crisp fifty-dollar bill to a smirking Adriana. The female plucking the bill out of his hand with a nod of her head and tucking it into her blouse pocket.

"And that, lady and gentleman." She said smugly. "Is how you win a bet."

 _"_ Hayley!" Elijah screamed frantically when they ran into the church, Adriana raising both hands to her mouth when she saw Klaus with a dead Hayley in his lap.

Elijah didn't say anything, only approached the body and stared at it while Adriana stayed rooted to the spot.

"The baby." Adriana whispered, frantically looking around for the newborn. "Klaus. Klaus, where's the baby?"

"She's gone." Klaus said numbly, Adriana's mouth falling open once more, shock freezing any further movements.

"You've been bitten." Klaus said bluntly, biting into his wrist and offering it to his brother. "Here."

"How?" Elijah asked.

"I was bested."

"You were bested." Elijah said quietly, too quietly. "Huh."

 _"_ Elijah." Adriana warned, stepping forward.

 _"_ You were _bested_?" Elijah continued to stare furiously, Klaus looking at him in shock while Adriana didn't even blink. "My invincible brother!"

"Elijah." Adriana said calmly, resting a hand on his arm, watching him take in a deep breath. "That's enough."

"They took the baby." Klaus said, pulling himself to his feet. "But there's still time. We can save her."

"The tombs are empty." Elijah said frantically, the three of them searching the cemetery. "The grounds are deserted. She's _not here_!"

"This is the only place they _can_ be! We'll keep searching." Klaus persisted.

"They are not here, Niklaus." Elijah snapped out. "We're wasting time!"

"The Harvest was here! The Reaping was here! They're about to perform a ritual which will feed their ancestors for centuries! Ancestors who are buried _here_!"

"Anyone else noticed that we've just been going round in circles?" Adriana spoke up, staring at the tomb in front of her. "We've passed this exact same statue a total of three times.

"They've fabricated some kind of illusion." Elijah said in realisation.

"That's one word for it." Klaus agreed, Adriana choking slightly at the sight of an infinite number of tombs stretched before them.

"It's ingenious." Kalisz sighed a few moments later. "I can see them, I can feel them, and yet they are not real."

"There has to be a way. Even if we could just push through-"

"What we need to do is _focus."_ Klaus said.

"My only focus right now is that child and her safety, do you understand me?" Elijah sneered, losing his temper once more.

"Elijah." Adriana said softly.

"This- all of this- this is the world that _you_ created, Niklaus."

"Elijah."

"Brother-"

"All of your scheming." Elijah said, cutting him off. "The enemies that you have made every single day of your _miserable life_ \- what results did you expect? That your child would be born into a happy life? That the mother would be alive to _know_ her daughter? That we could live and thrive as some- as some sort of _family_?"

"Elijah-"

"That was _your_ fantasy, brother, not mine!" Klaus said, cutting her off.

"No, brother! This was our _hope._ This was _our family's hope._ And now she is gone. Do you understand?"

Elijah sat down next to a tomb, tear welling up in his eyes. Adriana sat down next to him, not speaking a word as he put his head in his hands.

"There once was a girl named Adriana Mafiay." She began, trying to swallow the tremors in her voice. "And the only crime she ever committed was loving a man."

 _You're name is Adriana Angelo Mafiay, and no one can take that away from you._

"It's not a very happy story." She continued, Klaus watching them silently. "In fact, it's quite a sad one. But it's a story all the same, and that's what matters."

 _My name is Adriana Mafiay, my lord._

"Once upon a time, a girl was cast out of magic for having a child with a man out of wedlock. The man also cast her out, not wanting his golden name to be dragged through the girls dirt. Then, the child was taken away, leaving the girl alone in the darkness."

 _No! Not my baby! Not my baby! Please!_

"A soldier comes, gives her some light. And she clings to it." Elijah had begun to look up, seeing a small tear fall from Adriana's face. "She _clings_ to it. Refuses to let it go, this little ball of light, no matter what happens. Out of the market one day, she's grabbed, used by vicious men with no remorse."

 _Please! Stop!_

"A month later, she realizes she hasn't bled, and another little ball of hope appears, this time in the form of a baby. She doesn't blame the baby for what happened to her, it is after all only a baby. She goes to tell the soldier, only for a sword to be stabbed through her chest one late summers night."

 _Adriana? No! No! Please! Adriana..._

"And with that, she looses her baby. And that tiny ball of hope sizzles out. Her soldier is still there though, her little warrior. And she brings that little sliver of light to her chest and has yet to stop hanging onto it. No matter what he does, no matter how much he betrays her. She just keeps holding onto it, not wanting to be left alone in the endless abyss of shadows her world has become."

 _I don't believe we've met, my name is Adriana Mafiay._

"She tries to run away from the darkness, but a shadow shall always follow you wherever you go." Elijah turned to look at her fully, shock drowning his features, seeing the hand Adriana had rested on her stomach. "Once upon a time, there was a girl named Adriana Mafiay. She's a wife, she's a maid. She wears her mask and does what she has to do. But inside? Inside, she's tearing to pieces. Inside, she's broken."

Silently, Elijah wraps an arm around Adriana's waist, resting his head on top of hers with a small frown on his face. Adriana rested a hand on top of his, and takes pleasure in the small moment of silent consolation.

"You two can sort out your many maternal problems when we get my daughter back." Klaus spoke up, the married couple looking st him with slightly dead eyes. Both of them nodding in agreement.

 _"_ We've passed through here twice already." Elijah sighed, Adriana snarling in frustration. "We're running out of time."

"Then we move faster." Klaus said, marking the wall with a third tally.

"Or smarter." Hayley spoke up, Adriana choking on unneeded breath in surprise.

"How are you here?" Elijah asked Hayley, holding onto Adriana's hand while he talked.

"I woke up in the church." Hayley explained, looking slightly dazed. "I felt this hunger... I knew what I needed. I can feel her. She's here. I can feel my baby."

"You died with the baby's blood still in your system." Klaus nodded. "She's in transition."

"Which means she has to drink the blood of the child if she is to survive."

"To be reborn a hybrid."

"How fun." Adriana couldn't help but grin.

"I don't care about me." Hayley said, leaving the tomb. "I'm gonna go find our daughter."

"I love maternal instincts." Adriana grinned, following after the wolf with no complaint.

 _"Nouvelle vie, nouvelle âme, mélange avec nous."_ Genevieve, Abigail and Monique were chanting in unison when they arrived.

 _"_ No!" Hayley screamed, Adriana growling lowly, as the witches continued to chant. Noticing, how Elijah picked up an urn and threw it at them, knocking the raised athame out of Genevieves hand and onto the floor.

" _La mère, le père, le frère, la sœur... La mère, le père, le frère, la sœur..."_ Abigail continued to chant.

"You fools!" Monique laughed. "To come against us in our place of power in our strongest hour? You don't face three, you face us all."

Adriana growled as she saw the hundred of dead witches appear around them.

"You want war, against on who used to be off your kind?" She scoffed. "Oh, I'll give you war."

Adriana didn't like this war, she decided looking up with a growl, having been thrown into yet another statue.

"You know what, mother, if you were to help me at any point in my life. You know, having abandoned me and all that" She growled, glaring up at the sky. "Now would be a pretty good time."

The answer to her call came in the form of Marcel throwing a device into Genevieves chest, covering her in millions of cuts and making her collapse before she could kill the child.

Adriana got up slowly, blinking when she saw how Marcel, Klaus and the baby had all disappeared.

"What, in the name of the Gods, just happened?"

"Why?" Hayley asked furiously, Elijah and Adriana busy shackling Genevieve to the wall of one of the tombs. "The Ancestors left me no choice-" Genevieve tried to explain.

"You were willing to sacrifice an innocent baby for more power?"

Adriana purposefully shackled Genevieve even tighter after hearing this, watching in morbid satisfaction as her finger turned slightly purple from lack of blood flow.

"No, not just power!" The witch denied. "It was the Ancestors' decree. It was _her_ decree."

"Esther." Elijah sneered in disgust. "So, not even death can stop my mother from seeking the annihilation of her own flesh and blood."

"This isn't the end. As long as that child lives, the witches of New Orleans will _never_ stop coming for it. _Esther_ will never stop coming for it. It has been decreed- your baby will be consecrated among her ancestors. She _will not_ live." Blood started to pour from her eyes, Elijah, Adriana and Hayley all just glaring at her in disgust. "They're coming for me, I can feel it. I failed them. Understand- I just wanted to live. Tell Klaus... I'm sorry."

"I'm not." Hayley snarled out furiously, shoving the athame in her stomach and cutting her womb open.

"Hey, baby girl." Adriana cooed, alone with the swaddled child in her arms. "Aren't you the most beautiful child? I'm your Auntie Adriana. Why, you're not even a week old and you've already caused a lot of trouble. Not that I'm complaining."

The child stared up at her slightly, transfixed by the deep brown eyes that carried so much hurt and yet so much happiness.

"I don't know when we're ever going to meet again." Adriana whispered, holding the baby close to her. "Or even if I'm still going to be part of this family by the time you come back. I just wanted you to know, before you go, that everyone here loves you. You don't know how much you are loved. No matter happens, someone out there loves you with all their heart."

The baby girl opened her mouth eyes shining with fascination as she walked towards the window.

"This city is yours." Adriana hummed, watching the twinkling lights below them, softly humming a lullaby under her breath.

"Adriana." Klaus stated, appearing in the doorway. "It's time."

Nodding, Adriana handed him the child.

"Before you go." She said, Klaus pausing in the doorway. "What's her name?"

"Hope." Klaus answered after a long pause, disappearing down the hallway.

"Goodbye Hope."


	20. Pay Attention To Me

**AN: Hello everybody! Thank you for all your comments on last chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Pay Attention To Me**

* * *

 **In which a lot of dead aren't so dead**

* * *

"I'm so bored."

"What else is new Adriana?"

Adriana Mafiay only mumbled under her breath, rolling her neck back and groaning loudly. Elijah glancing at her before turning back to watch the road, the midday sun filling the car with a warm glow as it cruised through the streets.

Her blood red lips parted slightly, her brown eyes turning to gaze out the window.

"So bored…" She drawled out under her breath. "Nothing exciting happens around here anymore. A few months, and I'm feeling like it's sixties again, nothing fun happened in the sixties."

"You turned into a hippy." Elijah contradicted, not taking his eyes off the road. "I found that highly amusing."

"Yeah. Yeah." She huffed, the car pulling up to the abandoned foundry, seeing the realtor and one of Francesca's lackeys waiting outside. "Laugh it up you twisted sadist."

He only smirked in reply.

"Authentic cast-iron columns." Elijah stated, walking around the building. "Look at that, the original Bloomry forge, fueled by a charcoal furnace. The modern elements blend quite nicely indeed. My foundation has aligned itself with the city's Historical Preservation Society. We have a vested interest in seeing this building protected."

"An extremely vested interest." Adriana practically purred at the realtor, blinking suddenly when the lackey began to shout.

"This place is a dump! The Guerrera family would be doing this city a _favour."_

"The only favour you'll do to anyone is getting out of my personal space." Adriana snapped, stepping away from the lackey when he stepped to close for her comfort.

 _"_ Well, unfortunately, under the Preservation Act of 1966, we cannot allow the Guerreras to demolish one of the city's original foundries..." Elijah smiled fairly, sarcasm dripping from his next sentence. "Even if it is for something as noble and distinguished as a _casino."_

With slightly raised eyebrows, Adriana turned to look at her husband, glancing back at the men as she spoke, "I do believe that's my husbands way of saying that you should leave. You'll have to forgive his backwards way of speaking, he was dropped a lot on his head as a child."

"Thank you, gentleman." Elijah nodded, gesturing to the door. "Do give my best to Francesca."

"I suppose we shall have to call this your white period." Elijah said, picking up the canvas and examining it.

"I'm missing a crucial color in my palette." Klaus growled angrily. "That of my enemies' blood."

"I don't think that would be very good to paint with." Adriana pointed out, appearing seated in a nearby chair. "It drys so quickly."

"Well, I recommend a Venetian red." Elijah advised. "With a dash of rust."

 _"_ It's been months!" Klaus snapped, finally losing his temper. "I've adhered to our plan: sit and do nothing, sell our grief. And now, my child is safely away, and another full moon is upon us, another night of pathetic _weakness_ as the moonlight rings steal my strength." He took in a deep breath, calming down slightly. "The inertia is killing me. I need to act. I-I-I need. I need to spill blood."

"Don't we all." The female vampire groaned, picking at her nails. "I'm so bored."

"Well, then, you'll be pleased to know that I've located the last of the twelve rings forged with your blood." Elija informed, Klaus visibly happier with the news.

"Then, it's time!"

"And none too soon. I'm concerned about Hayley."

"Here we go again." Adriana muttered, glaring at the back of her husbands head. "Same old story, every single time."

"She looks well enough." Klaus sated, visibly tensing.

"She looks no better than you, brother." Elijah said, Adriana mouthing along with his words in perfect unison. "Now, if the two of you would treat each other as more than just... passing acquaintances-"

"She has _you_ for that." Klaus interrupted.

"Sadly, like the father of her child, she prefers to fight her demons alone."

"Klaus." Cami called out, Adriana raisining an eyebrow from where they stood behind her. "I know you're here somewhere. We need to talk."

 _"_ Too bad." Adriana sighed, Cami twirling around to face them.

"He doesn't wish to see you." Elijah finished.

"Elijah. Adriana." Cami shrieked out, obviously startled. "Where the _hell_ did you come from?"

"I beg your pardon? Aren't you the one who is trespassing?" Elijah growled out slightly, pausing a beat before continuing. _"_ He doesn't care much for conversation these days. And, he certainly wouldn't care for the fact that you've put yourself in danger by coming here."

"I'm _already_ in danger." Cami stressed. "I have Guerreras following me like it's a police state. The city's being run by gangsters, and you guys aren't doing anything about it. Marcel took them out a hundred years ago without any of you. Don't you think he might be up for lending you a hand?"

"Wait." Adriana called out holding her hand out, before appearing again a few steps away from Camille. "Hear that? That's the sound of us not caring."

"Adriana, enough." Elijah warned, the brunette stepping back with a huff. "Thank you for coming, Camille."

"I know your family is grieving." Cami sighed, after Elijah gestured towards the door. "But I _know_ you don't believe those rumors that Marcel killed the baby. So, if you want help taking down the Guerreras, you have a weapon across the river just waiting to be fired. _Use it."_

 _"_ I like her spirit." Elijah smirked, once the blonde had left

"So do I." Klaus said glumly.

"I don't." Adriana scoffed, folding her arms over her chest. "Reminds me too much of, well, me."

"We're taking the twelve original rings." Elijah explained to the three of them. Hayley stodgy next to Klaus while Adriana leaned on the table. "Now, four of them sit on the hands of the Guerrera brothers. One on Oliver, one on Francesca, three with the home security detail, and the rest scattered amongst her lackeys. Now, each ring is distinguishable by its setting _gauche_ , like those that wear them."

"If they believe they can get their hands on the stake, they will come for me when I am weak." Klaus nodded. "Each ring you retrieve will strengthen me, but I will still at a disadvantage."

"We may not be able to retrieve all the rings for you to be at full strength." Adriana said, seriousness gracing her features for once, her usual cold, sarcastic aura gone.

"Ergo, any hope of our success depends entirely upon our working together." Elijah nodded, turning to Hayley. "The two of you can no longer afford to retreat to separate corners."

"This is our fight. Are you ready for battle, Hayley?"

"Just promise me that Francesca doesn't come out of this alive." Hayley growled out.

"Her head will be delivered to you on a silver platter, _little wolf._ " Klaus smiled weakly.

"I'll deal with the last piece of the puzzle." Elijah stated, turning to leave. "Adriana."

"Finally, we're getting some action."

"Good evening, gentlemen." Elijah started, smirking st how all of Francesca's lackeys rushed out of the mansion to meet them.

"How are you all doing today?" Adriana finished, running a hand through her hair.

"It's fine!" Francesca smiled fairly on the other side off the door, Adriana dropping the struggling lackey with a sneer. "They can't come in."

"Can't we?" He asked in amusement.

"Of course we can't Elijah." Adriana tsked, rolling her eyes in amusement. "It's rude to enter someone else's home without invitation."

"Don't bluff me!" Francesca laughed. "You can't win."

You mobsters all suffer from such hubris." Elijah smiled, glancing down at Adriana. "Did you know Al Capone thought himself invincible back in his day? And, in the end, he was sentenced to the wretched filth of Alcatraz, for which of his atrocities? Anyone?"

"Oh. I know this." Adriana grinned, Francesca and the group remaining silent, the two of the,

"A _failure_ to pay his taxes." Elijah laughed coldly. "I suppose the devil's in the details, isn't it? My, my, you have a beautiful home, here. I was so pleased when the city took my suggestion to protect its heritage status and invoke imminent domain."

The smirk on Francesca's face faded in horror.

"I suppose that means _this_ house now belongs to the public." Elijah hummed, Adriana making a show of toeing the borderline of the house, several lackeys stumbling back. "And, as such, anyone can enter _without invitation_."

"Play time." Adriana sang, her heels clicking as they took a step into the house.

"Could you not just take a sledgehammer to them?" Klaus complained, Adriana scoffing as she rested one pitcher full of water and a stone bowl of burning charcoal on the table in front of them.

"These were forged by a witch, brother. And, as such, only the elements of fire and water can destroy them." Elijah said, Adriana stepping back and watching the two converse silently. "I'd have thought this would have brought you greater pleasure."

"As would I." Klaus grumbled lowly. "This was my fault. All of it. If I had just accepted Hayley's pregnancy instead of... playing _king_... I should have listened to you. Instead, my greed and my envy robbed me of my daughter. My actions led to the release of the weapon that can kill not just me, but _you_."

"In a thousand years, I've survived your attempts to destroy me, brother." Elijah smiled, Adriana gathering up the stones and dropping them in the burning charcoal without a word, still listening to their conversation. "I imagine I can survive this."

"You chase my redemption, like a man rolling a stone up an endless mountain." Klaus sated, confusion entering his voice. Still listening, Adriana picked up the pitcher full of water and poured it over the charcoal. Destroying the stones.

"Well, no mountain is endless, brother. Some are just steeper than others." Elijah stated, turning towards Adriana but continuing to speak to Klaus. "As much as I would like to be the one to comfort Hayley in this moment, I believe that only you can understand her grief."

"We lost our child. I mean, what could I _possibly_ say to ease her pain?"

Adriana scoffed at this, remembering the cold years she spent believing her daughter was dead.

"Whatever she needs to hear."

"Get her a diamond." Adriana spoke up, turning to face them. "Everybody likes diamonds."

As soon as Klaus left, Adriana turned to Elijah, her eyebrows knotted together in confusion.

"He does realise his daughter is still alive, right?"

" _Kol!"_

 _"Oh, don't be mean to him." Adriana tsked, walking in behind the brothers, a wide smile on her face. "I think he did a wonderful job."_

 _"All of my efforts to keep this family concealed, yet debauchery like this has led Father directly to us." Elijah grumbled, folding his arms._

 _"Kol!" Klaus continued to shout. "Show yourself! This is no time for games."_

 _"Come, come, brother! It's always time for games!" Kol grinned, taking a swig from a nearby mug and lifting it to them in toast._

 _"We must leave." Elijah instructed, Adriana kneeling down and tilting the face of an unfortunate barmaid as her husband spoke. "Mikael is very nearly upon us."_

 _"If Mikael were upon us, I imagine Niklaus would be quite dead." Kol said, sitting down and propping his feet on the table._

 _"I barely escaped!" Klaus hissed out angrily. "Father left the head of my horse on a pike in the town square!"_

 _"He killed poor Theo?" Kol asked, mocking filling his tone. "What a beast! But then, Father's always hated you most. Surely he'll chase you if you flee, leaving me here. Perhaps I'll make myself mayor?"_

 _Adriana covered her mouth, failing to hide the short bubble of laughter that left her mouth._

 _"Rebekah and Finn have already boarded the ship." Klaus stated. "It is imperative that we remain together."_

 _"Rebekah does what she's told because she fears Nik. The only reason Adriana is still here is because the noble brother has chained her to him." Elijah growled at this. "And Finn is in no position to argue, given the dagger in his heart. I'll take my chances here."_

 _"I find it amusing that you think you have a choice." Klaus said smugly, Adriana's eyes widening as he pulled out a dagger, stopping him from walking away._

 _"Klaus, let him go." Adriana stated, stepping forward only for Elijah to grab her wrist. "Klaus, please, you promised me that it would end like this."_

 _"No." Kol growled out. "I swear to you, the day will come when I'm not so easily subdued and on that day, I will make you suffer."_

 _"Perhaps, but today is not that day." Klaus stated, plunging the dagger into his brothers heart._

 _"No!" Adriana shrieked, Elijah holding her back as she lunged for Klaus. "Let him go. Undagger him! Now! Kol!"_

Adriana walked through the streets of New Orleans, expertly dodging everyone that walked past her while staring down at her phone. Fingers rapidly forming emails to several important companies and checking on her investments.

Losing focus on the world around her for a few seconds, her heels clacked on the pavement as she stumbled when she walked straight into someone.

"I'm so sorry." A deep voice spoke, Adriana clutching her phone to her chest as she stepped backwards. "That's completely my fault, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Adriana waved up, feeling the blood drain from her face as she glanced up and saw the man infront of her. "Oh my Gods..."

To the tips of his golden blonde hair, to the very shade of his tanned skin, the man infront of her looked exactly like the one person she never wanted to see again.

He looked exactly like Demetri.

"Are you okay?" The Demetri look-alike frowned, Adriana just staring at him. "You look extremely pale, do you want to sit down?"

He's not Demetri, Adriana not even noticing as a warm human hand guided her to a nearby bench.

Demetri was dead, he'd been dead for an extremely long time.

He's human, it's just a weird extremely coincidental doppelganger.

He's just a doppelganger.

"Miss, hey, Miss? You okay?" A worried male voice echoed through her head. "Did you hit your head?"

"I'm fine." She said quickly, bringing up her deep brown eyes to meet his forest green ones. "Sorry for worrying you."

"I'm Draco." He introduced, resting his elbows on his knees and watching her. "You?"

"Adriana." She smiled shakily, coughing and straightening her back to regain her composure. "Nice to meet you."

"You too." He laughed slightly, green eyes glinting in the sunlight. "Sorry for running into you."

"It's fine." Adriana nodded, straightening her white blouse. "I'm sorry for not paying attention."

"You don't hang around with a lot of people your age, do you?"

"I don't see how that's any of your business."

"Chill, lady." Draco laughed running a hand through his hair and examining her closely. "You're what, twenty two? And you talk and walk like the old business men do."

"I don't see how that's a bad thing." Adriana said curtly, Draco only chuckling at her reaction. "Anyway, you can't be that much older than me."

"I'm twenty five." Draco shrugged, leaning back and smirking at her. "Why'd you wanna know?"

"Draco!" Another voice called out, Adriana turning around to see a teenage boy around Davina age walking towards them.

"Hey Kaleb." Draco nodded, turning to Adriana. "Adri, this is my younger brother Kaleb. Kaleb, this is Adriana, I almost gave her concussion."

"Nice to meet you." Kaleb nodded, mischief with a hint of hidden resentment sparking in his eyes. "Draco, we gotta go."

"Nice meeting you Adri." Draco nodded, standing up and shoving his hands in his jean pocket. "I'll see you around sometime. Come on Kaleb."

"Thank you, Adriana Mafiay." Kol, disguised as Kaleb muttered under his breath, the female stopping from where she stood, turning around and glancing at him with narrowed eyes.

"Did you say something?" She asked.

"No." Kaleb denied, a smirk filling his features. "See you around!"

When she left, Kol turned to the physically older man next to him, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.

"Stay away from her." He hissed, when he was sure the woman was far enough away. "True, you're a hell of a lot better for her than my brother. But that doesn't mean I like you."

"As you said, I'm better than your brother." Demetri smirked, green eyes flickering with mirth. "And that means that I have every right to drag her away from that marriage. If it's kicking and screaming, then so be it."

" _I can't do it." Marcel sighed, pressing down on the wrong note._

 _"Don't say that Marcel." Adriana smiled gently, taking his hand an pointing at the music sheet. "See, you have progressed through this song perfectly, it's only one little note."_

 _"You once said the same thing of your reading, and now you devour everything from sonnets to scriptures." Elijah commented, standing next to the piano. "So, devote yourself to your music, and soon you shall be Johann Sebastian Bach."_

 _"But I want to play like you two."_

 _"Well, isn't this nice?" Klaus said, appearing in the doorway drunk. Adriana wrapping an arm around Marcels shoulders and holding him close to her as they both stood up from the piano seat. "My older brother, my sister in law, and my ward, getting along like peas in a pod._

 _"We shall continue at another time." Elijah stated turning to Marcel. "Why don't you resume your Hamlet? Act one, scene three today. Off you go."_

 _With a small squeeze on his shoulders, Adriana let Marcel go, watching him run off before facing Klaus with a cold glare._

 _"Congratulations, you've been drinking." Elijah stated dryly, Klaus stumbling into the room._

 _"Only to remedy the lifeless monotony that has overcome this household." Klaus slurred drunkenly. "You know, Rebekah's still pouting over the Governor's son."_

 _"When you threw him to his death, did you imagine a different outcome?"_

 _"And the two of you monopolize young Marcellus with schooling." Klaus continued as if Elijah hadn't spoken. "He and I used to have such fun. If only there was someone with whom I could share a bit of roguery."_

 _"And think that's enough alcohol for you." Adriana snapped, snatching the glass and bottle away from him._

 _"Oh, yes!" Klaus called out, pulling out a white oak ash dagger as they both turned to leave. "That's right. There is!"_

 _"You didn't." Elijah stated, Adriana's mouth falling open as she followed Elijah to the courtyard._

 _"Bravo." Kol's voice called out, dropping the dead body into the pile of drained commoners. "That was delectable. But make no mistake, Nik- I'm still cross that you daggered me. But, as far as apologies go, it's a start."_

 _"So, this is your idea of fun?"_

 _"Well, you and Marcellus have grown thick as thieves." Klaus shrugged, Adriana walking over to Kol and scolding him for ruining her beautifully decorated courtyard. "Why should I be alone?"_

"Elijah. Adriana." Marcel greeted them as they approached him. "Didn't expect to see you on this side of the river."

"Didn't expect to see you assembling a new vampire community." Elijah replied. "I guess we're both full of surprises."

"My community was fine until Klaus had the brilliant idea to make moonlight rings." Marcel huffed, gesturing around them. "Now that Harvest girl's making more, offering them to the wolves in exchange for their allegiance. And the wolves are just kneeling at her feet. The Quarter's become a dangerous place, and you two? You're the last true vampires left! You ask me, you're better off joining _my_ community! Maybe that's why you're here?"

Adriana looked around her with a single raised eyebrow, casting Marcel a flat look.

"I'd rather not." She hummed, tilting her head and watching him carefully.

"We came to make you an offer." Elijah said, getting straight to the point. "Find us the white oak stake, and we'll let this little social experiment continue."

"Even if I wanted to help, I don't have a clue where the stake is." Marcel shrugged.

"Yes, but you do have an ally in Davina." Elijah pointed out. "She can find it. Thing is, I'd speak to her myself, but I feel the conversation might become a little... _unpleasant._ "

 _"_ And even if she would listen to me." Adriana agreed, folding her arms in front of her. "She's less than likely to talk to me, last I heard, she was inquiring about her father. Trust me, I know Demetri and his joy in ruining my life, that's not a good thing."

"You don't go anywhere _near_ her." Marcel ground out, his smile falling.

"Then, it's settled." Elijah smiled patronisingly. "You'll deal with the matter personally."

"Davina's on her way." Marcel told them, Adriana glancing up from her nails. "By the time she gets here, you need to be _gone_."

"We're not going anywhere until we know the whereabouts of the stake." Elijah stated coldly.

"Who's 'we'?" Adriana asked. "There is no 'we' in this."

"You think she's just going to cooperate with you two standing here? First thing I learned living with your family- wherever you people go, threats and bloodshed are soon to follow. So, just stay out of sight, alright? Try not to kill anyone."

 _"_ _Forty-six." Elijah stressed, Adriana watching the three brothers with mild boredom. "An entire tenement. Forty-six bodies drained!"_

 _"Nonsense." Kol scoffed, pausing a beat. "It was at least sixty. They neglected to check the attic. Why do people always run to the attic? I mean, it makes no sense! Adriana, darling, why do they run to the attic?"_

 _"Because humans have grown increasingly stupid." Adriana stated, Klaus and Kol chuckling at her answer._

 _"It is difficult enough to keep our presence in the city a secret without the two of you doing absolutely everything in your power to draw attention to us."_

 _"I'm surprised you have the time to concern yourself with us, given the hours you spend doting on Marcellus." Klaus commented, Adriana looking up at the mention of the boy._

 _"Is that what all this is about?" Elijah scoffed, frustration increasing with every word. "You envy my bond with Marcellus? Niklaus, you brought that child into this home. He's no longer safe here. I cannot allow him to remain."_

 _Adriana stood up, her eyes narrowing: "That's ridiculous. They won't hit him."_

 _"You would punish the boy for Kol's antics?" Klaus asked, standing as well. "I would just as soon put him in a box."_

 _"You'd choose that little whelp over your own family?" Kol asked, looking slightly offended and appearing next to Adriana. The brunette vampire resting a hand on his arm to calm him down._

 _"That 'little whelp' is our family." Klaus growled out, turning to Elijah. "Marcellus stays."_

"I do wish I could disagree with you." Elijah stated, interrupting Davina's and Elijahs conversation. "Tragically, however, you're quite right. Although, you and I both have excellent reason to find that weapon. I want to protect my family, and you want to protect your friends. We'd do well to forget our grievances and join forces.

"No." Davina stated coldly.

"Davina, just-"

" _No!_ No, I'm-I'm done listening." Davina seethed out, turning to Elijah. "For a long time, you and your family have had all the power. You manipulate and kill anyone who gets in your way. That time's over. From now on, you can know what it is to be afraid-"

" _Cienna_." Adriana snapped out, the young girl pausing in her speech. " _Fermata. Paula con mi._ " **(Stop. Talk to me.)**

 _"Rifiuto, Mama_." Daviana snapped back. " _Sei proprio come Papa!_ " **(No Mama. You are just like Papa!)**

 _"Che?"_ Adriana screeched, her eyes widening as she grabbed Davinas arm, dragging them both away. " _Dai."_ **(What? Come on.)**

Marcel and Elijah only stared after them.

"Explain." Adriana hissed out, stopping them under a tree. "You explain right now, young lady."

"I saw him, Papa." Davina finally explained after a few tense moments of silence."We spoke."

"Gods." Adriana muttered, running a hand through her hair and closing her eyes. "Davina, what are you hiding from me?"

"I have Mikael locked up in Saint Annes church." Davina blurted out, Adriana's mouth dropping to the floor at the news. "Mama, please, don't tell them. I can control him, I swear."

Adriana stared at her for a few seconds, contemplating the news.

"Actually, you know what?" Adriana said, a smirk filling her features and her eyes darkening. "I don't think I will. Have a nice day, Davina."

"Meet anyone interesting?" She asked Elijah with a laugh several hours later, swirling the blood around her wine glass.

"You knew." Elijah growled, stalking towards the hyena that was his wife. "You knew all along didn't you."

"What can I say?" Adriana shrugged. "I know all and see all."

"Then you obviously know that I've taken in a new pupil." Elijah growled out, leaning close to her, Adriana choking on her drink. "Oh, am I wrong?"

Coughing violently, Adriana glared at her husband.

"What?" She said through the coughs. "That's- that's not fair! You're only successful pupil was me! It's not fair Elijah!"

"Well I'll suppose you'll just have to deal with it." Elijah grinned, like a shark would grin at its prey, turning around and leaving her there.

"Oh no you don't." Adriana shouted at his back, scrambling to her feet and following after him. "Elijah. Elijah! Pay attention to me. Elijah!"


	21. The Son Of Apollo

**AN: Okay, so I admit, I skipped an episode just to get to Red Door quicker. Complain about it in the comments or something. Next chapter though,** **then it all kick off ladies and gentlemen. *Smirks and begins to chant* Red Door. Red Door. Red Door. Red. Door!**

* * *

 **The Son Of Apollo**

* * *

 **In which Adriana resorts to begging (and wants to skewer someone like a Shish Kebab)**

* * *

" _Tu sei il mio soldatino._ " _Adriana sang softly, running the brush through her daughters hair. "La regione per cu vivo..."_

 _"Mama?"_

 _"Yes Cienna?"_

 _"Were did you learn that lullaby?" Cienna asked, not turning around as Adriana continued to bush her hair with the comb._

 _Adriana only hummed, her eyes narrowing in concentration as she tried to think back, only to come to a dead end. Her memory proving useless._

 _"I don't know." She finally answered, humming a few more notes of the song before putting down the comb. "Run along now Cienna."_

 _Her question forgotten, Cienna jumped off her mothers lap, running off to somewhere in the hut._

 _While it was forgotten to her child, Adriana however did not forget the question._

 _Leaning forward on her arms and furrowing her eyebrows, Adriana let her mind wander._

"You will do no such thing." Elijah told Klaus as he and Adriana entered the room. "Esther's a master in the art of possession. We know whose body she currently inhabits. We must decipher her intentions before she finds a new host."

"Well, her last invitation was an assassination attempt on all her children." Klaus reminded. "I think we can assume her intentions are decidedly foul."

"Well, then. We have," Elijah paused for a second, checking his watch, "this afternoon to prepare for the worst."

"Yay." Adriana cheered sarcastically following Elijah out of the room with a small huff.

"I wondered when you'd show up." Marcel greeted them. "Your pupil's waiting. it's not like you to shirk your responsibilities."

Adriana growled lowly, not liking to be ignored, her eyes falling on the newbie vampire Marcel wouldn't take responsability for.

"As you well know, she is not my _burden_ to bear." Elijah said, putting a hand around Adriana's arm so that she wouldn't move. "You turned her, you teach her."

"Marcel, littlest warrior." Adriana chided, clicking her tongue at the male vampire. "You're acting like she's the girl you accidentally knocked up. Too late for abortion now, you've got to look after the baby."

"Why'd you come?" Marcel sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"We're looking for a cooperative witch."

"You." Adriana corrected, gritting her teeth in frustration. " _You're_ looking for a cooperative witch. Hell, why am I even here? Oh, I remember. Because I have a bracelet trapped on my wrist that acts, pretty much, like a chain!"

"Are you still hung up about that?" Elijah stressed, rolling his eyes at her.

"I don't know where Davina is, and given the fact that she's got your father on a leash, I wouldn't put her in the, uh, 'cooperative' category-"

 _"Not_ Davina." Elijah interrupted. "Perhaps another witch? On another leash?"

"What makes you think I got another witch?" Marcel defended.

"Perhaps the _daylight ring_ on your new librarian?" Elijah said, pointing to the baby vampire.

"Good point! My memory's a little shaky. Lucky for you, though, I know someone who can help! Gia?" At this Marcel turned to the girl. "Why don't you take Elijah and Adriana to meet our friend Lenore?"

"If this is your idea of a joke, I can assure you I am not amused."

"Well, there's nothing funny about what's going on." Marcel stated. "Mikael's back, witches causing chaos. It just seems like you could use all the friends that you can get."

"So, you two don't talk much, huh?" Gia asked, trying to start conversation, Elijah staring at her blankly while Adriana's lips lifted to a small smirk. _"_ No problem. Last guy I hung out with, he wouldn't shut up, so guess I'm due for a change-"

"The task is to lead me to someone." Elijah said, cutting her off. "So, please do as you are instructed."

"Is he always like this?" Gia asked Adriana, as Elijah stepped forward. "I know him, but who are you?"

"My name is Adriana Mafiay." She introduced herself flatly, turning on her heel and catching up to Elijah. "And the answer to your question is yes."

"You wanna walk in silence? Cool." Gia said, sighing in frustration. "But, you're going the _wrong way."_

"Marcel believes I can instruct you." Elijah said impatiently. "First lesson- do your best not to waste my time."

 _"_ Go away, I'm busy." Lenore stated, grinding herbs as they arrive.

"Yes, blatantly practicing magic, I see."

"So I guess common sense is indeed dead." Adriana hummed, leaning against the countertop. "What a shame."

"Herbal remedies for a neighbor who lost her insurance." Lenore said. "But, my guess is an Original ain't here to talk neighborhood gossip."

"I have a favor to ask you."

"Quarter's crawling with witches, go ask one of them."

"I don't typically ask favors of my enemies."

"So, you come across the river to bother me?"

"It's unfortunate, isn't it?" Adriana hummed looking around her and changing the subject.

"Bureaucracy has not been kind to your community." Elijah continued. "Those tax incentives on local businesses have been stalling for _months._ Of course, a _persuasive_ person could potentially remove any red tape."

"I'm listening." Lenore said, clearly interested.

"A certain someone, let's say a witch, has a _troublesome_ tendency of jumping into other bodies." Elijah explained. _"_ When she does so again, I would like to know into whom she jumps."

"Soul branding." Lenore said, once Adriana had dropped a coin in the coin jar next to her. "It's a sacrificial spell. I'm gonna need an item that's been spelled by the witch in question, and a python."

"I shall retrieve the enchanted item." Elijah smiled coldly, turning to leave. "Gia will take care of the python."

" _Ew_ , what?" Gia very almost choked out.

 **"** Second lesson of the day." Elijah said patronizingly. "Acquisition through mind compulsion."

"Good luck!" Adriana grinned.

"Are these outfits really necessary?" Klaus complained, Adriana putting down the last glass and glancing at him. The female dressed in a long plain red cocktail dress, the long slit down the side showing off her tan legs.

"Appearance is a way of showing respect, Niklaus." Elijah informed. "Mother will be more likely to surrender her true intentions."

"Well, I doubt her guard will drop just 'cause I'm dressed like a bloody lawyer." Klaus continued to whine as Adriana stepped up to fix his tie.

"We need every advantage we can get, Niklaus." Elijah said, beginning to light the candles.

"You always did excel in diplomacy." Klaus admitted, nodding gratefully to Adriana as she stepped back. "Just know, if she tries anything, I'll tear her new body to pieces."

"You lot haven't changed a bit!" A new figure cried out, a tall man with dark skin entering the room, looking at Elijah? "Linen and silk to disguise your dark and dead soul." Turning to Adriana, he continued. "The broken women hidden behind stone features." Adriana's glare increased as he turned to Klaus. _"_ And you- despite the arrogant façade, you're still the same paranoid little _boy,_ full of hate and fear."

"Forgive me, I don't believe I've had the pleasure." Elijah managed to say through gritted teeth.

"Oh, you mean you don't recognize me?" The figure said, feigning offense. "So much for the unbreakable bonds of family, huh? Always and forever indeed."

"It's been a long time, Finn."

"Now that the introductions are out of the way, let's eat." Finn grinned, taking a seat.

"You know Finn." Adriana spoke up, sitting down in the seat across from the eldest Mikaelson brother.

"Yes Adriana?" Finn asked, looking as if he knew something she didn't.

"I liked you better when you were suicidal." She admitted, narrowing her eyes and leaning back in her seat. "Now you're just annoying."

"What an aromatic bordot." Finn said politely, wafting the wine under his nose.

"Well, it was a challenge to find a good pairing." Klaus commented. "What wine goes well with treachery?"

"Don't pout, brother. Tonight is meant to be a happy occasion." Finn smiled, whispering something quietly into one of the servers ear.

"What exactly are we celebrating?" Elijah asked, standing next to Adriana.

"Did we miss your birthday?" The female drawled out, rolling her eyes. "How terrible. What a scandal."

"Why, my return, of course!" Finn exclaimed happily. "Remember, I spent nine hundred years, right?, lying daggered in a box. I'm rather enjoying this new body. Strolling about your lovely city that, uh, you've made your home. But, do tell me, what'd I miss? Regale me with your _contributions_ to society! Medicine? Philosophy? Art?"

Adriana opened her mouth to say something, only for Elijah to descritly step on her foot, the female instantly taking a few steps away from him, glaring at him and her already healed foot.

The opportunity for a smart comment had passed.

"Or, have you three merely cut a path of destruction across time?" Finn finished, taking a small sip of the wine.

 **"** The last time we met, you were helping our mother try to annihilate the lot of us." Klaus growled out. "Let's not throw stones in glass houses."

"Are we expecting another guest?" Elijah asked, noticing the servers placing another three sets on the table.

"Mother will sit at the head." And, as for the seat across from me, that's reserved for one not of our own clan. Well, it's a surprise. And the last? Care to wager an educated guess? How about a paranoid one?"

"Well, there's no way Kol would listen to anything other than his ego." Klaus scoffed, Adriana's eyes widening in surprise and hope.

"And yet, our mother has made such a compelling argument that even he, the wildest of us Mikaelsons, has seen the error of his ways and accepted his new form with vigor." Finn smiled, raising his glass slightly as if to make a toast. "Change, is inevitable."

"You would dare face us as a mortal?" Klaus asked. "The only thing inevitable is your death."

With that, Klaus flung a knife at Finn, only for the eldest Mikaelson to deflect it with magic. The knife inbedding itself into the chair at the head of the table.

"Oh!" Finn cried out, removing the knife and holding it up. "I suppose the honor of carving should go to the oldest. We have _much_ to discuss."

"I'm rather enjoying my evening." He said, several minutes later.

"Well, I'd rather enjoy you getting to the point." Klaus snapped, clearly frustrated.

"I had nine hundred years to learn to be patient." Finn sighed. "Although, I am curious why you kept me daggered in a box for so long."

"You were daggered for being an ever simpering sycophant." Klaus explained. "Did Mother bring you back from the dead so you could wash her knickers?"

Adriana had to scoff to hide her mirth, hiding her small smile behind her wine glass.

"She raised me because I was treated unfairly." Finn snapped back in frustration. "Cheated of all but the smallest portion of my life! Is jealousy what kept me locked in a box?" Finn asked Elijah, Adriana placing a hand over her eyes in annoyance. "You coveted the duties of the eldest brother, in which case you had near on a millennium to fix the problems of this family, and instead, produced nine centuries of failure."

"You might reside, somewhat parasitically I might add, in another body." Elijah began, glancing at his wife before turning to Finn. "But I assure you, in nine hundred years, your tedious sentiments remain quite the same. You see, Finn, like Father, you've always despised our supernatural existence. Father, of course, slaughtered and consumed his own, whereas you became pretentious and dull much like this meal. I will not ask you again, where is Mother?"

"Oh, my darling son." A woman sighed, all eyes turning to see a male and female entering the room. "I've missed you, too."

Narrowing her eyes at the male next to Esther, Adriana blinked in confusion.

"Draco? What are yo-"

"Hello, my little dark angel."

The reaction was instantaneous. Adriana's mouth fell open, her whole face draining of colour and the glass in her hands crashing to the floor. Glass shattering and the wine creating a puddle on the floor.

"Who the hell are you?" Klaus growled out at the male, noticing Adriana stumble to her feet and frantically move away from the mysterious male.

"Adriana?" Elijah asked, standing up also and catching his wife as she almost fell over. "Adriana, what's wrong?"

"I don't want him here." Adriana begged, clinging to her husband and burying her face into his neck. "Please. I'll do anything. Just make him leave. Please."

"She hasn't mentioned me?" The male grinned, blonde hair glinting in the candlelight. "Seeing I died young and human, it wasn't hard just resurrecting me in my original body. I'm surprised she hadn't noticed sooner. Not my fault."

"Elijah, please." Adriana continued to beg. "Please..."

"I'm the great son of Apollo. My name is Demetri." He grinned, Elijah able to see green eyes that perfectly matched Davina's. "I'm Cienna's Father. Nice to meet ya'."

Elijah narrowed his eyes at Demetri, Adriana clinging to him tighter, still resorting to begging.

"Pleasure" The original said coldly, not meaning it one bit.

"What?" Demetri continued to talk, ignoring Elijahs comment, sitting down in the chair diagonal from Finn. "Nothing to say, little Adri? Say, how has our daughter been lately? Have you heard from her?"

Taking in a deep breath, Adriana stepped away from her husband, her hands turning to fists as she tried desperately not to show weakness.

She opened her mouth, only to close it again, trying to find the right words to say.

"You have no right." She finally managed to spit out, after a few moments of tense silence. Esther settling onto the head of the table. "No right. To talk about _my daughter_ like you know anything. You do not know anything about me, Demetri, you have no idea what I have done for _my_ daughter."

"I'm her Father." Demetri said bluntly, leaning back and staring back at her, causing the usually steel boned woman to shrink back slightly.

"You are nothing." Adriana said, trying desperately to get her composure back, clenching her fists even tighter. "You never have been, and you never will be. Not to her."

"Why are you so stubborn?" Demetri groaned, Elijah stepping closer to Adriana and Klaus standing up as the golden haired male stood up. Demetri making his way closer to her. "Come on, little Adri, what are you afraid of?"

"You. I'm not afraid to admit that I'm scared of you." Adriana answered honestly, turning on her heel and running out of the room. Not looking back.

When Demetri moved to follow her, Elijah caught his shoulder, the two males staring each other down, analysing each one of the others faults.

"Please let me go." Demetri said flatly, a strong Italian accent leaking through slightly as he stressed his words. Reminding Elijah a little too much of his wife.

Speaking of Adriana...

"Touch _my_ wife, and your find that your head will no longer be connected to your shoulders." Elijah growled out, Demetri only raising an eyebrow at him. Klaus sitting back down. "Am I understood?"

" _Per favore..."_ Demetri dragged out, rolling his eyes and steeping out of Elijahs grip. " _Sí_. _Sí._ Fine. Though, I have to admit, what made little Adri so desperate that she ran to you of all people? Or was she a slave? Did you _buy_ her?"

Demetri smirked something not as mischievous or cocky as the Mikaelson signature smirk, but it was something cold and calculating. Something that peered into your soul and slowly ripped it apart. Something that could easily break a simple man, turning him into a quivering mess.

But Elijah was no simple man. The Original growled slightly as Demetri sat down once more, making sure to keep a close eye on the other male throughout the rest of this cursed dinner.

Upstairs, Adriana shoved her desk against her locked door, stepping back and falling to the floor. All the energy she had drained from her.

Blinking back tears, she curled up in a ball and continued to star at the door, taking in small and quick breaths.

The next day, Adriana stayed in her room for the most part. Then, hesistantly, she grabbed a knife and walked downstairs, still shook from last night.

Hearing something clatter to the ground, she turned on her heel knife raised in preparation for any confrontation.

She was going to skewer them like a Shish Kebab. Tie them up and-

 _Snap._

Only to feel someone snap her neck.

The coward.

Honestly, chivalry apparently is dead.

She wanted to skewer them like a Shish Kebab.

"What do you want?" Elijah growled at Esther's new body, Adriana jerking awake with a gasp. The female chained across from her husband, her hands chained behind her and her legs locked together.

 _"_ I only want us to be a family again, Elijah." Esther said, looking her som in the eye "But- I'm so sorry- in order for that to happen, you _must_ be purified."

Adriana growled at her as she left, her fear from last night suddenly blooming into a pure, untamed, hatred.

"So, I was right." Adriana smirked, turning to her chained husband. "You really are a son of a _bitch_!"


	22. Ghost

**AN: It's here** **ladies and gentlemen. The moment you've all been waiting for. A lot of you wanted Elijah to suffer, and here it is! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Ghost**

* * *

 **In which Adriana breaks free from more than one set of chains**

* * *

 _A woman with long brown hair ran through the forest, deep brown strands sticking to her face as she ran._

 _Adriana couldn't see her face, only able to see the back of her head as the other female ran into a clearing, stopping with small shriek when she came across the body in front of her. The figure dropped to her knees, trying to shake the long dead woman awake._

 _"Oh, Elijah…" She could hear the woman trail off. "What have you done?"_

"Have you forgotten where you are, son?" Esther asked in Lenores body, taking a sip of her tea. "Save your strength. My chains don't break so easily. Having sweet dreams?"

"Get out of my head." Elijah spat, lunging for her only to be held back by the chains.

"I'm not in your head, dear." Esther informed. "You were screaming. Go ahead, get your bearings. We have _much_ to discuss. But onto you Adriana Mafiay..."

"Why am I here?" Adriana asked, breathing heavily from trying to fight her own chains.

"Of all the people in the world, you deserve humanity the most." Esther hummed slightly, taking another sip of her tea. "You treat my son like he's your own, why?"

"Well, I did a hell of a better job looking after him then you did." Adriana smirked slightly, knowing Esther was referring to Kol. "Why not?"

"Poor caged dove, trying to fly away." Esther muttered to herself, kneeling down slightly and staring her in the eye.

"What do you mean by that?" Adriana asked, blinking in confusion.

"You'll find out." Esther smirked, standing up and leaving the room.

"Elijah? Elijah, what did she mean?"

"Ignore her." Elijah ground out, making Adriana narrow her eyes even more.

"Stop lying to me." She finally said. "For once, Elijah, just tell me the truth."

Elijah remained silent, glaring at the floor below his feet.

"Who were you dreaming about ripping apart when you woke earlier?" Esther asked Elijah, Adriana remaining silent and watching them both carefully. "Was it your new little plaything, Hayley? Or, was it someone else? Oh, stop fighting, Elijah. I brought you here to listen, and you're not _going_ anywhere until I've said my piece."

"So speak." Elijah growled out.

"I want you to rejoin our family, but as a witch. Both of you." Esther said, glancing back at a silent Adriana. "I want you to leave behind the grotesque savage vampirism has made of you. Take the body of a mortal, and we can _all_ be happy again. Start over."

"You do know you're entirely demented, don't you?" He only said in reply.

"Am I?" Esther laughed quietly. "I'm not the one who pulls the wings off of every beautiful butterfly that he finds. Like the women who flit across the edge of your nightmare."

"Let me go." Elijah snapped, his vampire features appearing. "Now."

"How quickly you slip back into your more savage self." Esther hummed, unfazed by the revelation. "The moral son I raised is now but a _mask_ worn to hide ancient demons."

"You know nothing." Elijah stressed, glancing at Adriana before turning his attention back to Esther.

"See, that's where you're wrong. I know more about the secrets you carry than you do. Shall I list them? I can begin with the first little butterfly you destroyed. The sweet young widow from our village who caught your eye when you were still human. Ah, you remember her. Of course. How could you forget the first girl to ever steal your heart? She of mystical blood, the doppelgänger _,_ Tatia. Or was it? Or is it the woman that trails behind you as a ghost, who is there in your mind every waking or sleeping moment. The woman you dragged back from death, lost and then found. Your precious little _Adriana._ "

"I will ask one more time." Adriana spoke up, not looking up at them. "What are you talking about?"

"And, yet, you still haven't told her…" Esther trailed off, Elijahs glare increasing tenfold.

"Do what you want to me." He stated, clenching his fists and trying to fight the chains. "But don't you dare touch her."

"I need to show you the monster you really are." Esther said confidently, holding the candle in front of her sons face. "When I do, you will beg for salvation, and happily I shall provide it."

 _"So, you are the monster that killed the girl." A feminine voice came out of the darkness in the trees. Eyes watching him warily from the darkness. "I know your name, but we have not been formally introduced."_

 _The baby Original stared around him, trying to curb his hunger as the witch flittered around the very edge of his enchanced senses._

 _"Who are you?" He asked, staring into the shadows he knew she was in._

 _"Who are you?" The laughing voice replied mockingly, showing no fear of him. "What is your name, little warrior?"_

 _"My name is Elijah Mikaelson." He answered, after a few moments of silence._

 _The figure giggled once more, a brown haired female stepping out of the shadows._

 _"My name is Adriana."_

 _Stumbling back in shock, Adriana Mafiay watched her carbon copy step out from the shadows. Nearly one hundred years before she was born._

"But, that was just the beginning." Esther sighed, Adriana and Elijah lurching away with a gasp. "A brief moment of happiness. That is how it always begins. A butterfly lands upon your finger, unaware that it will lead to her tragic end."

"Her tragic end came when you drained her body of blood." Elijah answered, avoiding the subject of the other flashback. "All for a spell to smother the wolf within Niklaus, if my memory serves."

"Actually, Elijah, your memory doesn't serve you at all." Esther said rolling her eyes. "You just don't realize it yet. But, by the time we are done here, you will _._ "

"What was that?" Adriana breathed out, Esther and Elijah turning to her, "What did I just witness? Th-that wasn't a doppelgänger. Th-that was me. That was me!"

"Ready to tell her yet?" Esther asked her son. "All those things you haven't told her. What you did to her."

"What did you do?" Adriana screamed at him, her eyes widening as Esther left the room, struggling against her chains. "What did you do to me Elijah?"

Again, Elijah only remained silent, slumping against his chains.

 _"You know." The witch named Adriana stated, tilting her head and moving to examine the body of the poor servant girl he had killed in rage. "You're more controlled than most of your brothers."_

 _"Thank you."_

 _"It wasn't a compliment." Adriana stated flatly._

 _"Oh." Elijah muttered, the female watching him carefully._

 _"You're brother is that way." She finally sighed, being careful not to show him any veins as she pointed into the distance. "Many of the villagers have fled. Your brother came across a few of them and attacked."_

 _He nodded and turned to leave, glancing back at her as he went._

"I fail to see your point, here." Elijah sated, jumping back from the flash back. "I compelled Tatia to forget what she saw, and she did."

"You'd only been a vampire for a few days." Esther said. "You hadn't yet learned compulsion."

"No." Elijah said in disbelief. "I remember that. Clearly."

"Do you? You thought there were still lines you wouldn't cross." Esther replied. "You remember killing one, yet you don't remember killing the other. People you wouldn't hurt. Things you wouldn't do. But, you're wrong. That is what I'm here to show you."

 _"Let her go!" A voice shouted, tugging Tatia away from Elijah, the vampire crashing into the dirt as he was pushed back by magic. "Tatia? Tatia, are you okay?"_

"You knew how special she was." Esther snapped. "I always thought you would protect her. That she would be your wife, that one day I might call her daughter! Instead-"

"I didn't hurt her." Elijah interrupted, Adriana to far in the flashback to hear them, or even comprehend what wa sharpening around her.

"You've taught yourself to hide from who and what you are for a thousand years!" Esther shouted at her son.

"I did not hurt Adriana, or Tatia." Elijah shouted back, clearly remembering how both walked away unharmed. "I could not."

"But you did!"

 _"She's dead." Adriana gasped, dropping the doppelgänger. "She's dead!"_

 _"Adriana." Elijah tried to calm down. "That's your name, isn't it?"_

 _Regaining her composure, Adriana put a safe distance between them, nodding curtly._

"Oh, my beautiful boy. No more hiding. It is time, now, for you to remember it all."

 _"No witch can help her now. Not even me." Adriana told him stiffly. "It's dark and powerful magic to bring someone back, almost as dark as the creature you have become."_

 _"There has to be a way." Elijah begged her, the woman taking another step back as he took a step forward. "I didn't mean to hurt her."_

 _"Well, that doesn't change anything now." Adriana said. "What's done is done."_

"You didn't want to hurt her. Even though you only knew her for a short amount of time, you loved her. Your precious little Adriana."

 _Adriana glanced to the side of the hearing a crowd approaching the meadow, hearing several children among them._

 _She couldn't let him attack them, she wouldn't._

 _"A witches duty is to maintain balance. But also to protect her people." She started, calmly taking the knife hidden in Tatias robes and holding it to herself. "No matter how weak they are. I cannot hold you back, I'm not strong enough, but I can try to curb your hunger."_

 _Taking in a deep breath she raised the knife and sliced across her wrist, offering the bleeding appendage to him._

 _"Drink." She smiled shakily. "And then maybe I'll do something right for once."_

"But, you couldn't fight what you had become. What I had turned you into!"

 _"What are you doing?" Elijah asked, he too hearing the crowd. "You'll die! I'll kill you, just like I did Tatia."_

 _"I don't fear death." Adriana answered, seeing black veins form around his eyes and his hands starting to form fists. "And, I don't know much, but I do know that your destiny is so much more important than mine."_

 _Unable to hold back, Elijah lunged at her, latching himself onto his neck and taking in big mouthfuls of her blood._

 _"Now, how about that, little warrior?" Adriana breathed out, closing her eyes and collapsing against him._

"A predator." Esther snapped at Elijah. "And they became your prey."

"This was you." Elijah stated, yanking himself away from his grip. "You murdered her for her blood. And then, you used it to cripple Klaus for centuries. I won't listen to another word."

"You don't have to listen, son." Esther sighed. "All you have to do is remember."

"You know." Adriana spoke up, glaring at both of them from where she hung. "I really don't like you."

"I'm your mother in law." Esther pointed out, looking slightly amused.

"Even more of a reason to hate you." Adriana scoffed.

"You're distorting my memories." Elijah said, still struggling against his chains, Esther turning back to him. "It was you who killed Tatia. You who banished Adriana for knowing too much."

"Oh, I used her blood to bind the spell that suppressed Niklaus' werewolf aspect." Esther admitted. "But, by the time you brought her to me, she was already dead."

"You can't rewrite history." Elijah stared in horror and disbelief.

"No, I cannot." Esther nodded. "And I did not. Not until I had your consent, and then, I said to you, 'You will not suffer from this memory, or be tormented from the guilt of your misdeed. What goes behind that door shall stay there and be forgotten'."

Adriana watched them both, remaining silent as fury bubbled under her skin, coursing through her veins.

"And you did exactly that, and more." Esther continued, Adriana glaring at her husband, forcing all the fury and betrayal she felt into one long stare. "You created a place in your mind to put your victims. You began to believe that as long as your suit was immaculate and your hands clean, you could look in the mirror and tell yourself it's all okay. No one need know what's behind that red door."

Elijah's and Adriana's eyes connected, the female staring at him with an uncontrolled fury, her question still swimming in the depths of her deep brown eyes.

 _What did you do to me? What did you do to me Elijah!_

"But, a thousand years is a long time, Elijah. And a place meant to hold one unforgivable sin is now full to bursting with your most monstrous deeds. Go on, tell you precious little Adriana what you did."

"Stop _!"_ Elijah shouted at his mother, unable to break himself away from Adriana's furious stare.

"How long before it's your beloved Hayley's corpse behind that door?" Esther asked, a small sigh escaping her lips.

"Stop."

"You must be afraid that, that loving you will destroy her." She told him, refusing to stop. "As it destroyed Celeste. Tatia. Adriana. Take my offer. Both of you. In new bodies, you will be _alive_ again! You could give her a child, to replace the one she lost."

"Can I just be the first to say, that's never going to happen." Adriana stated, looking disgusted by the mere idea.

"You will not break me." Elijah ground out through gritted teeth, determination clear in his voice.

"Oh, you are _already_ broken, my dear boy, but not beyond repair." Esther informed, standing up. "I am here to fix you. I am here to fix you all _._ "

Gasping awake, Adriana felt the cold floor against her face, her wrists and legs free of the silver chains.

Looking around, Esther was nowhere to be found. Though Elijah remained chained.

Hesistantly standing up, Adriana stared at her wrists, noticing how the golden wire usually wrapped around her wrist had disappeared. Looking around, she found it layed out in front of her. The golden chain split into two pieces.

Kneeling down, she picked up one of the pieces, glancing at an unconscious Elijah then back to the bracelet, her lips set in a thin line.

"Hayley…" Elijah muttered in his dream, causing Adriana's head to snap up and stare at him.

Something within her snapped. Every little thing that kept her calm shattered as she stood up, her heart cracking and bursting into tiny pieces as she threw down the bracelet and stormed over to him.

With every step, memories locked away came rushing back to her, and her heart ached even more.

Raising her hand when she was close enough, Adriana slapped Elijah across the face, effectively startling him awake.

"How dare you." She hissed at him, the chained male staring up at her, the red handprint on his cheek healing instantly. "How dare you! What did you do to me?"

"Adriana-" Elijah started.

"I am talking!" She screamed at him, tears pooling in her eyes and she stumbled away from him. "What did you do to me?"

"A couple of years after your death, your original one, I found a witch." Elijah started, hanging down his head in shame. "I don't know what possessed me at the time, but I know now it was guilt. I asked her to bring you back. She was strong enough to place your soul into a dieing baby inside it's mothers stomach. I tried to keep an eye on you, but the mother ran away and made a deal with a slave trader that if he could hide her, she would give him the baby. You. I lost track of you, but I found you again. The exact carbon copy of my every wrong doing. You are older than you believe Adriana, and I'm sorry I lied to you. I am."

Adriana stared at him, her mouth hanging open.

"You've lied to me my whole life." She whispered, though Elijah flinched at the broken sound. "And you expect me to forgive you?"

"You don't have to forgive me." He told her. "I don't expect you to. Just get me out of these chains."

"No." Adriana spat at him, stepping forward. "I don't think I will. The bracelets gone, I'm free to do whatever I want."

"Adriana. Enough." Elijah warned. "Don't do this."

"I'm not even real to you." She breathed out, laughing slightly in cold realisation. "I'm just a ghost. The ghost of your mistakes. That's why you take the pain you have out on me, because that's all I am to you. A ghost!"

"I said enough, Adriana!" Elijah growled at you, fighting against the chains as a few tears slipped down both of their faces.

"No!" She screamed back, her hands shaking violently. "I'm am sick and tired of being your ghost. You know what, just go away. Go away and leave me be. You go far, far away…"

She ran a hand through her hair, breathing in heavily as she paced up and down, a hand raised to cover her mouth.

"Adriana." Elijah sighed, trying to console her, though his voice only made her flinch.

"I suppose, in the end, we're all ghosts." She contemplated, taking the hand away from her mouth and turning to stare at him. "Stumbling through our own lives, following our own warriors. Stumbling falling, laughing crying, and then it hits us. Like a brick wall just slammed in front of us; death, for some, we stop following the light and start to look around us. I'm done, this is it, I suppose in a way this is my death, I'm done with stumbling after you, with putting up with this. I'm free. I'm not your ghost anymore."

"Adriana." Elijah growled out in warning when she turned to leave. "Adriana Mikaelson, if you leave me here, I swear to your Gods that I will burn this city to the ground looking for you. I've done it before, and I can easily do it again."

"Yet you won't." Adriana told him, kneeling down in front of him. "That would hurt your preciois little Hayley. We wouldn't want that now, would we?"

Elijah growled at her, his eyes darkening in malice.

"You've ripped out my heart, Elijah." Adriana continued softly, placing a hand on his chest, right above his own heart. "Do you know what that felt like?"

With those words, she plunged her hand into his chest, wrapping her fingers around his heart and tugging it out. The beating muscle resting in her palm is he sagged forward.

He was an Original, he would live without his heart, the muscle would regrow. No matter how much she wished it would hurt him more.

Just like he hurt her.

Letting the still beating muscle slip from her fingers and land on the floor, Adriana stared at it for several seconds, before mercilessly driving her heel into the offending thing. Watching with satisfaction as it finally stopped beating. Pulling her heel out of the muscle with a smirk.

Turning to Elijah, she watched his unconscious body for several seconds.

"It felt a bit like that." She told him, turning around and leaving him chained there.

And, for once, she didn't look back.


	23. Show Some Respect

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews on last chapter! Unfortunately, Elijah isn't in this one a lot. But a certain blonde and another Mikaelson boy _are_. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Show Some Respect**

* * *

 **In which Adriana switches sides**

* * *

"Demetri." She called out, knocking on the door of the apartment once more. "Demetri, I know you're in there. We need to talk."

"Wow, Adri." Demetri's deep voice drawled out, the male in question opening the door with a smirk. "Are you bipolar, or something? Just a day ago, you were scared stiff of me."

"Where's your alcohol?" She only growled at him, shoving past him and shamelessly strutting into the room. "I've been kicked out of every club in New Orleans, and I'm only just feeling the buzz. I'm too angry to be scared of you right now, in fact, I think you're the only person I know that hasn't been dishonest with me yet!"

Demetri watched her lazily, shutting his front door and following her into the kitchen. Watching in amusement as she poured herself a glass of wine, muttering obscenities under her breath.

"You know now." It wasn't formed as a question, he knew everything she had discovered, the smug idiot. "It's nearly midnight Adriana. What are you doing here?"

"Apart from wanting to talk? Choosing the lesser devil." Adriana answered, pouring another glass. "Want one? I'm feeling generous."

At his nod, she poured another glass and handed him it, looking around his large apartment as she did. Only the minuscule lift of her eyebrows showing her surprise as she noted how expensive it must have been.

"Don't look so surprised Adri." Demetri laughed at her slightly, moving the wine glass in his hands. "I have a well-paying job. I can afford an apartment such as this."

"What job? You've been dead for nine hundred years." She scoffed, the male leaning on the wall near her. "Prostitution? Stripping?"

"I am hot enough, and it would be easy money…" He trailed off teasingly, taking a sip of his wine, Adriana only rolling her eyes at his behaviour. "I'm an architect, I'll admit my graduation papers are false, but I'm good enough to pass without complaint. I also help at the art galleries and lend my work to them time to time. It pays well."

"Davina can draw." Adriana mumbled to herself, sighing and turning to during straight from the bottle. "You know what, Demitri, this is all your fault."

"How so?" Demetri asked, looking generally curious for the answer.

"Well," Adriana started. "If you hadn't arrived in the village, knocked me up, and then left me to the wolves-"

"I did not leave you to the-"

"Shut up, I didn't ask for your opinion. Continuing what I was saying before you rudely interrupted. I wouldn't have been sold to Elijah and remained hidden from him until I died from fever." Adriana finished, making a big gesture to him with her hand. "By default, this is all your fault."

"What did you want to talk about Adriana?" Demetri sighed, sitting down in the chair across from her.

"I propose a truce. Between you and me."

"Go on." Demetri nodded, leaning forward in interest. "You have my attention."

"Let's be honest with ourselves here, neither of us like the majority of the Mikaelsons." Adriana stated, putting down her glass and facing him head on. "We don't really like Marcel either, so it's no choice to go and join his team. No go. We're both underdogs, we have nowhere to go that we truly trust. Plus, we're the most unlikely pair to team up, no one will see it coming. To be honest, we're probably smarter then all of them combined anyway. You with years of deceit, and me with years of knowing each one of our enemies."

Demetri nodded, watching her carefully as he spoke.

"Anything you want to get off your chest about me before we start?"

"I do actually." Adriana sneered, reaching across the table to slap him on the face, remembering he was human and not using all of her strength. "That was for threatening to kill me and my baby!"

"Okay, I deserved that. Should've known that was coming." Demetri nodded, rubbing his cheek and wincing slightly. "I was a bit off a dick about that, wasn't I?"

Adriana glowered at him coldly, swallowing the rest of the bottle in one swoop.

"I still don't like you." She told him, leaning on the table. "I just like you a little bit more than the rest of them."

"You said it yourself Adri." Demetri countered, leaning so he was a few centimeters away from her face. "I have never been dishonest with you. Go on. Name one time."

Adriana opened her mouth, only to close it again.

He'd threatened her, scared her to death, but never once was he truly dishonest with her.

"Still don't like you." She grumbled, standing up and stepping away from the table.

"Come on, Adri." Demetri grinned, swing his arm around her shoulder as he stood up too. "We make a great team, you and I. What should our group name be?"

"Get off me before I break your face."

"Not bad, but not good enough." He hummed, tilting his head and staring off into the distance. "Don't matter anyway, does it? I've got a spare bedroom, doubt you would like living with the Mikaelsons. Let's go get your stuff."

" _Idiota_." Adriana mumbled under her breath, shoving his arm of her.

" _Puttana._ " Demetri retorted without batting an eyelid. "Spare rooms through there. I'm not staking out an Originals house without my beauty sleep, I want to die handsome."

"You'd need a lot of sleep for that."

"Did you say anything, lovely partner of mine?"

"Nothing, my dearest partner of mine."

"Hey, Adriana." Demetri smirked after a few moments of silence, glancing down at her. "I've got a plan to get your things back, an it involves a lot of petrol…"

"Adriana." Klaus greeted her as she walked into the compound, the male smelling distinctly off gasoline and fire. "Come crawling back for my brothers forgiveness?"

"Not quite." Adriana answered flatly, the click of her heels sounding against the floor.

"It's a lovely place you have, Mr Hybrid." Demetri noted, entering the compound while expertly throwing a lighter into the air and catching it. "It would be a shame if something burnt it to the ground."

"What did you do Adriana?" Klaus asked, a slight edge to his voice. "I don't want you as an enemy Adri, but I will do whatever it takes to get you out of my way."

"Adriana…" Elijahs voice trailed off, appearing next to his brother.

"Don't give me that look." She snarled at him, throwing him her wedding band, the Original catching it. "I came to return that and get my things. Give it to Hayley or something."

"Adriana." Elijah warned, Demetri stepping in front of Adriana and glaring at him.

" _Mi dispiace_." The Italian male stated, his green eyes narrowing and darkening slightly in irritation. "But she doesn't have to listen to you anymore."

"Adriana. Stop this now." Elijah demanded, Adriana only glaring back at him, her own brown eyes darkening with fury. "You're not going anywhere until you let me explain."

Demetri and Adriana only smirked at this. The cold and calculating lift of the lips that was the Mafiay smirk.

"You're so predictable." Demetri laughed slightly, running a single hand through his golden hair. "You're supposed to have super senses, and you can't even smell the petrol we practically bathed this compound in while you were gone. You're all so boring. We would get her stuff then, but this was just far more entertaining."

"In other words." Adriana drawled out, glancing at Demetri before turning to the brothers. "Let us do what we want and don't bother either of us after this. Or this whole place and half of New Orleans goes burning down, we wouldn't want that now, would we?"

"You wouldn't." Klaus snarled, refraining himself from lunging at them. Elijah still too weak to hold him back.

"But we would." Demetri countered, letting the lit lighter slip from his fingers and onto the floor. "Whoops."

The petrol instantly ignited under their feet, making a line of dancing flames between the two groups, Klaus and Elijah stepping back so not to be burned and Demetri kneeling down and picking up his lighter.

"If you're not with us Adriana, then you are our enemy." Klaus growled, the flames beginning onto burn away at the wooden floor boards.

"Then I'll see you on the battlefield." Adriana smirked, disappearing for a few seconds and then reappearing with her suitcase and bag. "See you around Niklaus, Elijah."

Taking her suitcase, Demetri casually waved at them, walking out of the compound with Adriana close behind him.

Turning to examine the flames, Klaus growled lowly and knocked down a chair in anger at what he saw the flames had burnt into the floorboards.

 ** _Ha Ha!_**

"Can you just stop?" Davina asked Kol, frustration easy to detect in her tone.

"Stop what, darling?" Kol asked.

"Calling me 'darling', and trying to be funny, and-" She paused for a second, seeing that his shirt was open. " _That."_

"Have we come at a bad time?" A laughing voice asked, the two turning around to see Demetri leaning against the wall.

"Do you want us to come back in an hour?" A female voice chimed in, Adriana leaning against the door with a smirk on her face. "Maybe five hours?"

"Use protection kids." Demetri openly laughed once more, his green eyes sparkling with mirth.

"Mama. Papa." Davina greeted, pausing in her packing for a second. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, _il mio bambina_." Demetri started, Adriana watching them both. "With all these family reunions happening left, right and centre. We thought we would have our own. Welcome to the Mafiay family reunion. I don't have a last name, so we can't use mine."

Kol buttoned up his shirt as he watched the three, calmly sitting down our on one of the beds.

"I'm not your baby girl." Davina glowered at him. "Stop calling me that."

"Of course, _il mio bambina._ " Demetri chuckled, their identical green eyes meeting.

"Enough, both of you." Adriana waved off, turning to the other male in the room with a small frown. "Hello Kol."

"Adriana." Kol nodded, a small smile on his face. "Did you miss me?"

"I've never thought I'll ever say this, but Kol, I have missed you. I've missed you a lot." Adriana smiled gently.

"Aw, come here." Kol grinned, Adriana accepting his hug with a small laugh.

"But hurt my daughter in any way then I'm going to kill you myself." She said, once she stepped away from him.

"Get in line." Demetri spoke up from where he stood next to Davina. "Were here to join the underdogs. Admit it, you need us. How long it going to be until you run out of money and people start questioning where your parents are and call the cops? Between us, me and Adri have enough money to take over the world- twice."

"Mainly me, but the point stands." Adriana nodded, examining the two. "You need our help, and we're more than happy to give it you."

"First though." Demetri stated, bringing up his hand and digging his nails into the inside of Davinas ear, making the female yelp more in shock then pain. "I think it's about time you start showing us, me in particular, some respect young lady."

"Don't." Adriana stated, stopping Kol from defending Davina. "He's not going to hurt her, it's a method that was used to discipline young children. Marcel and myself have unfortunately let her behavior go unsupervised. Demetri, as head of a noble house and warrior, will not let his only living childs behavior be so ungrateful. It would disgrace his clan."

"I am your father." Demetri snapped, his hand retracting from Davinas ear. "Not some commoner. I gave you life, and I can just as easily take it away. Show me some respect! Your behavior towards me and your mother has been appalling, I don't care how it started, but it ends now."

"Papa-" Davina started, only to cut herself off at Demetri's stern look.

" _Sto parlando_." Demetri snapped, slipping slightly before regaining control. "Show me some respect, or I swear to the Gods that I will-"

" _Demetri_." Adriana spoke up, her accent coming off heavy with his name. "You have made your point. Enough."

"Apologise, now young lady." Demetri said, crossing his arm and waiting, his face saying that he left no room for argument.

" _Mi dispiace, Mama e Papa_." Davina apologised after a few seconds of silence.

"Good girl." Demetri sighed, ruffling her hair slightly.

All eyes turned to Kol as he groaned in pain, Davina rushing forward and Adriana stepping back as he fell to his knees. Seeing the symbols burned into his forearm.

"What's happening?" Davina asked him, Demetri walking to stand next to Adriana.

"That's Mother Dearest." Kol chuckled slightly, Adriana exchanging a look with Demetri. "Calling me home."

Demetri glanced behind him, his relaxed hands on the steering wheel of Adriana's car moving as the turned a corner.

"You have any fun with magic, or is it all just angst and child sacrifice with you lot?" Kol asked Davina, the two sitting in the backseat while Adriana was in the passenger seat. "What about you, Demetri, all animal sacrifice?"

"I was a witch as well, you know." Adriana laughed, turning in her seat to look at them.

"You were the weakest witch I had ever met." Demetri scoffed, not taking his eyes of the road. "Her power? That's all me."

"You were a witch before you were a vampire, right?" Davina smiled, turning to Kol.

"Yeah." The male nodded. "None of my siblings had tapped into their power. I was a bit of a child prodigy. I loved it. I loved the power, I loved the rush, and then, when we turned, I lost it all. Went through a bit of a dark period."

"A _thousand_ years?"

"Yeah, well, I'm a thrill-seeker. I couldn't get that from magic anymore, so I looked elsewhere."

"What?" Adriana asked, scoffing slightly. "By destroying my carpet?"

"Yeah, my youthful misadventures." Kol cheered, making Adriana huff and roll her eyes. "I actually spent quite a lot of time with witches. You know, learning from them, teaching them. Trying to get back what my mother stole from me."

"Is that why she brought you back as a witch?" Davina asked curiously.

"Well, she felt like this body would be best for the task at hand spying on the prettiest witch in town." Kol teased, Adriana watching the two converse with interest.

"I can't believe your mom sent you here to flirt with me." Davina laughed, Adriana turning to face the road with a small smile on her face.

"Oh, no, she sent me to follow you. The flirting bit was me!"

"Oi." Demetri spoke up, a small smirk on his lips. "Save your flirting for when we aren't in the same moving tin can as you."

"What did your mother want from you?" Davina asked, Adriana looking around the cemetery while Demetri casually sharpened a knife.

Adriana honestly didn't want to ask where he got it from.

"She wants me to take that stake out of your bag." Kol shrugged. "Give it to her, so that you can't kill Klaus before she gets her big, happy family."

"Happy family?" Adriana scoffed, turning to the two. "Pigs are more likely to fly over the frozen pits of Pluto."

"Is that why you called me here?"

"I'm not my mother's puppet." Kol said, obviously frustrated, bringing out a knife and pointing it at her. I want something different entirely. I want your blood."

Before anyone could blink, the warrior instinct in Demetri had kicked in and Kol was on the ground with the athame and knife pointed at his throat. Demetri glaring down at him.

"Relax." Kol stated, showing no fear of the objects pointed at his throat. "I'm not gonna take it. I'm asking. Nicely."

"Sure, I'll just bleed for you with no explanation at all." Davina said sarcastically from behind Adriana.

"About a hundred years ago, this tomb used to be my playhouse." Kol explained, Demetri moving the knives a few inches so he could take freely. "The witches I used to run with, we used to make all kinds of magic in here. That is, until I pissed the prettiest one off, as I tend to do, and she locked me out."

"So, why do you need my blood?"

"Well we could take Demetri's. Her name was Mary Alice Claire." Kol told them, turning to look at Demetri. "Descendant of yours. Only a Claire witch can open this tomb."

His eyes narrowing, Demetri got off of him, facing the tomb.

"Adriana, hold this." He told her, calmly passing her the knife while steadying the athame across this hand. "If this doesn't work, I'm gonna kill you myself Mikaelson."

"Yeah. Yeah."

Calmly slicing his hand so blood was drawn to the surface, he placed his hand on the door of the tomb, nodding stiffly when it was thrown open.

"Where did you get all this stuff?"

"Well, I was a vampire." Kol started, pulling boxes off the shelf. "I could get anything I wanted. I couldn't practice witchcraft, so, I charmed some witches, and I taught them a new kind of magic that I learned in Arabia called Kemiya _._ We made items that allowed me to use magic without doing magic."

"You taught them how to make dark objects." Davina realised.

"And, for a time, they were scattered all around this city." Kol said, opening a box. "I can't for the life of me find where they are now, but I've got the one that matters."

"What's that?" Demetri asked, examining the dagger.

"It's not about what it is, it's about what it _could_ be. You want to take down Klaus, right? To get your revenge." At their nods, he continued. "I've wanted one thing for _years,_ to drive a dagger into his heart, like he's done to me so many times."

"But the daggers don't work on Klaus." Adriana spoke up, crossing her arms.

"With a little practice, and some _trust_ , we'll fix it so this one will." Kol contradicted. "We'll put him in a box, _but_ , seeing as he won't be entirely dead, your friends will be safe. So, what d'you say?"

"The hunters who forged the Originals' daggers to take out my family didn't know that Klaus was part-werewolf- not vulnerable to silver." Kol explained to Davina. "Now, it's impossible to replicate the spell cast on the dagger. Trust me, I've , it's not impossible to change the dagger itself. _Kemiya_ allows witches to destroy one element to create another. Say, changing silver to gold, for example."

"It's all about chemistry." Demetri explained, Adriana sitting down and watching them all with interest. "As family, we have a natural bond and you and Mikaelson over here- well, I'm not to sure about that one."

"That's a _huge_ diamond." Davina noted seeing the crystal in Kol's hand.

"It's a paragon diamond. You use them to conduct power." Kol explained, holding his hand out to her while Demetri begrudgingly took his other one.

"Is the hand holding really necessary?"

"I mean, we could make out, but then that'd be _entirely_ distracting."

"Do you want us to leave?" Adriana spoke up teasingly, while Demetri looked slightly too amused at the whole ordeal.

 _"E loke gae la lidi. E loke gae la lidi."_ Kol began to chant, Davina and Demetri slowly joining in.

 _"E loke gae la lidi. E loke gae la lidi."_

At their words, the rope that had been holding burst into flames, causing them all to drop it, Adriana standing up only to see it had been turned into gold.

"To replace the one I broke." Kol offered as he tied the golden rope around Davina's wrist, Adriana dragging Demetri's elbow and dragging him away from the two, so not to ruin their moment.

"Ah, come on Adriana." Demetri whined, once they were far enough away. "I've got to admit, do all the Mafiay have a Mikaelson complex? Am I going to get one just by relation?"

Her only reply was to hareshly hit the back of his head.


	24. What Is Mine

**AN: *Coughs awkwardly* Yeah, guess what, Elijah and Adriana are still clinically insane when it comes to each other. Bet some of you forgot that little detail. Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

 **What Is Mine**

* * *

 **In which Elijah loses his 'endless' patience with a certain someone (two guesses who)**

* * *

 **Dear Adriana. All my other means of communication have failed dramatically, and I will not resort to begging.**

 **I am not my brothers.**

 **Adriana, my endless patience is wearing thin, you will come home. Now.**

 **You think I have lost my touch just because of one little wolf? Try me. I assure you that it will be me that slowly burns down this city, but the blood will be on your hands.**

 **I've done it before, I can just as easily do it again.**

 **Elijah.**

 _ **Dear Elijah. Please, can you go rot in hell?**_

 _ **No, seriously, get a stake and, kindly, stab yourself with it. It would do the whole world a huge favour.**_

 _ **Yes, I am offering my murderous services.**_

 _ **Adriana**_

Elijah stood alone in his room with the paper crumbled in his clenched fist, breathing heavily.

"How dare she." He growled to himself, beginning to pace the large room with another animalistic growl. "After all I've done... She will return."

"Brother." Klaus greeted, stepping into the room. "Stop this now, Adriana is long gone."

Elijah was silent, muttering under his breath, and clenching his fists even tighter.

"Where is she? You want to play, little gypsy? Oh, I'll play your game..."

"Elijah." Klaus snapped, hating to be ignored. "Adriana is gone."

"And she will return." Elijah snapped back. "I warned her. I gave her a chance."

"Brother."

"I warned her, I did, it is her own fault that she didn't listen." Elijah snarled, clenching his teeth together.

Meanwhile, Adriana sat across from Demetri. Calmly sipping at her drink while moving the Queen on the chessboard before them a few spaces, smirking as she checked the King.

"What is that now, Demetri? The fourth time in a row?"

"Oh, shut up Adriana."

"Now, now." She tsked. "There's no need to get aggressive."

"Can you two be serious for one small second?" Marcel growled at them, pacing the living room with a frustrated expression. "I give you both shelter, and this is how you repay me?"

"Yes." Demetri replied flatly, leaning back in his chair.

"I screwed up, you guys." Davina admitted, from her seat near both of her parents. "I was with Kaleb last night, and he took the white oak stake when I was asleep."

"What do you expect? He's a Mikaelson." Demetri pointed out, raising his eyebrows when both Adriana and Davina glared at him. "Are you sure you don't have a complex... Certain?"

"Demetri?"

"Yes, my dear dark angel?"

" _Silenceo, per favore_." Adriana smiled, with a sickening sweetness.

" _Sí. Sí."_ Demetri waved off.

 _"_ I'm sorry, I never should have trusted him." Davina was continuing, Josh frowning from where he stood.

"Kol doesn't _have_ the stake. Klaus does." Marcel stated, making Davina's eyes harden slightly. _"_ Matter of fact, Klaus has Kol, too."

"One day." Adriana muttered to herself. "I leave for one day and everything goes to the depths of Hades. Honestly, they can't do anything without me. They're like children. Extremely strong and powerful children with far too much ego that should be healthy."

"Maybe that's why they're technically dead." Demetri offered, his green eyes still watching Marcels and Davina's exchange. "It was vampirism or losing the ego."

"Gold star to the lucky person that guesses what they chose." Adriana scoffed.

"D, I'm the one who took him." Marcel admitted, ignoring Adriana and Demetri's exchange. "I saw an opportunity, and I wasn't gonna pass it up. Trust me, we are _all_ safer this way. You have your family now, stick with it."

"Not Kaleb, Klaus will kill him." Davina stated.

"His name isn't Kaleb, it's Kol _."_ Marcel told her sternly. "And, Klaus has had a thousand years to kill him, and he hasn't. So, worry less about him, and more about yourself. Alright? This guy is not your friend. He wants to use you to get his own way."

"You don't know him like I do."

"I know him _better_ than you do." Marcel snapped back, Adriana, Demetri and Josh all watching them interact with interest. "Now, I'm sorry I had to go behind your back. And I hate lying to you, I really do, but believe me, this is for your own good.I gotta take care of some business, alright? Stick with Josh. Everything's gonna be okay.

"Wait." Demetri said, standing up as Adriana almost choked on her own drink. "You can't just leave us here! Elijah's starting to lose it, and the first thing he'll do is come here. And you know who his first victim will be? This whole city, starting here."

"He won't do it." Adriana argued. "He values Hayley's opinion of him far too much. Last time was different."

"Yeah, right. So much different." Demetri scoffed. "Marcel, tell her."

"Marcel, tell him he's being idiotic." Adriana stated, before Marcel could even open his mouth. "Again."

"We'll just have to take that risk." Marcel told the blonde male, grabbing his coat and leaving the room, the other male running a hand through his hair, cursing in a rapid Italian.

"Want a fifth go?" Adriana offered, smirking with victory.

"You're so cruel, Adri." Demetri sighed, nodding in agreement and beginning to set up the board once more.

 _All the Mikaelsons had agreed to never talk about what happened in Venice. The time where it took Klaus, Kol and Rebekah to restrain Elijah from tearing down the city. Still, they only barely managed to do it, the whole event stopping suddenly when Klaus stabbbed his brother in the heart with a white oak ash dagger._

 _"Adriana." Elijah's voice shouted over the roaring flames. The female in question breathing heavily behind a burning wall, her head in her hands. "Come out. Now. I command it as your maker."_

 _Her feet moved without her heads admittance, the pull of the sire bond forcing her to stand in front of him. She stood on tense muscles, her small hands shaking violently. He looked down at her, all the light inside his eyes dead, gone out as if it didn't exist in the first place._

 _"Mi dispiace." Adriana begged, whimpered even, tears making thin salt trails down her face. "Per favore, mi dispiace."_

 _"Do you know why I did it?" Elijah murmured, ignoring her begging, grasping her chin and forcing her to look at him, the force making her flinch under his iron grip._

 _"Because I ran." Adrian whispered, whimpering slightly as he dropped her suddenly, forcing her to her knees. "Because I took a lover. Mi dispiace! I'm sorry! Per favore…"_

 _This was it, he was going to kill her._

 _"Oh, Adriana." Elijah whispered gently, kneeling down and running a hand across her face. "Don't worry. I ripped his filth heand off his shoulder, but not before a took out his lungs and kidneys. And then? I gouged out his little blue eyeballs." Adriana had shrivelled into nothing at this point. "Then, I find out your gone. Using all your will to overpower the bracelet._

 _Adriana's hands frantically scrambled around her, taking in a deep breath when her hand closed around a sharp rock, the flames giving her skin and eerie glow as she stood up. Trying desperately to regain her composure._

 _"I didn't really like his eyes anyway. Far too strong for his meek little face." She whispered into his ear seductively, using all her strength to keep herself together. "I much prefer yours."_ _Elijah only hummed in interest. "How about I gouge them out instead?"_

 _With that, she roughly shoved the rock into his stomach, letting out a cat like screech of rage as they both tumbled to the mud floor, Adriana attacking Elijahs face, trying desperately to scratch his eyes out in vengeance of her lover._

 _With a slightly surprising amount of strength, Elijah flipped them over, restraining her arms against the dirty village floor. The flames continuing to roar around them, as unforgiving as them. As rage filled as them._

 _"You know." He commented, using one hand to pull the rock out of his stomach. "When I imagined us in this very position, I was imaging completely different things. Preferably with less clothes."_

 _"Why, you little-"_

 _"Silence." Elijah growled at her, pressing down on her neck when she tried to kick herself free. The deep cuts running jagged marks across his face healing as the skin started to knit itself together. "Perhaps I should rip your own head off Adriana, maybe it would keep you silent for some short moments giving peace to us all. Maybe give me some quiet for a change. Take this for vengeance with all the times you drove off my own lovers."_

 _Adriana started to feel the bones in her neck bend and start to snap the more he pressed down, sharp bone scraping against her air way as Elijah continued._

 _"This should teach you not to-"_

 _His rage and jealous filled speech was cut short. The vice grip on her neck slackened. His skin turning a deathly shade of grey. Adriana rolled away from him when he collapsed, breathing heavily, feeling the snapped bones in her neck painfully start to fix themselves together._

 _Looking up, she saw Klaus breathing heavily, Rebekah and Kol stood behind him, and the dagger protruding out of her husbands chest. Whimpering softly, Adriana looked down at her grey tinted skin, tainting blood on her tongue as she too fell to the ground._

 _Around them, the fire continued to roar, the screams of the innocent people both Elijah and Adriana tore apart still heard in the wind._

 _They didn't resurface out of the dagger induced sleep for another seventy years, and that wasn't by Klaus' will._

"For the record, yes." Josh admitted, all four of them sat in the living room, Demetri quietly moaning to Adriana about being stuck there. "I knew what Marcel was up to, and you can hate me if you want to, but-"

"I don't hate you, Josh." Davina cut him off, throwing a dart at the dartboard on the wall. "I'm just sick of worrying about you. And Marcel. Most of all, I am _tired of_ Klaus always being in the middle of it. You know, every time I try to stand up to him…"

"It hasn't worked out so well?" Josh nodding in understanding as Davina shrugged. "Yeah. Failure, a party of two?"

"Make that three." Demetri grumbled, Adriana hitting him over the head and glaring at him in annoyance.

"Oh, stop whining." She scowled at him. "You are not a child."

"You seem to be doing all right." Davina smiled gently.

"Uh, yeah." Except that every werewolf in town is trying to kill me. Well, except for the super-hot one that I'm sort of dating. But, that's got its own problems, though. "It's kind of a... Romeo and Romeo thing."

"Ha!" Demetri spoke up from where he sat, stopping his whining for the small moment of victory. "I knew it. Pay up Adriana."

Sneering slightly, Adriana took a note out of her jeans pocket and handed it to him.

"This isn't the end." She sneered at him coldly, huffing at his egotistical smirk.

"And how hot is this Romeo?" Davina inquired, looking at Josh's phone to see a picture. "Pretty hot. Definitely worth the drama. Invite him over! Yeah, I wanna meet him. Come on, do it!"

"Come on, Demetri." Adriana sighed, shoving the blonde male away from her as she stood up, gesturing for him to follow. "If you want to stay for the teen drama, be my guest. But I'm getting out of her."

"Adriana." Demetri stated, rushing to his feet and following after her. "Adriana, don't leave me here. Not with them."

Davina and Josh only laughed at them.

Adriana sat down on the park bench, making sure she couldn't sense any of the Mikaelson gang anywhere near here before relaxing slightly. Leaning back on the wooden bench and closing her eyes.

Demetei had disappeared of to the Gods know where. Probably to traumatise some pretty blonde girl, she wasn't going to be around to help him, but she could probably find him when the girl would probably start screeching assault.

Or she could just leave him to get arrested.

Decisions, decisions...

Then, as if the Gods had a personal vendetta against her peace of mind, her phone started ringing.

"Hello." She started, answering it and pressing it against her ear. "Adriana speaking."

"Yes." A voice on the other end of the line gently. "Is this Mrs Adriana Mikaelson?"

"Speaking." She nodded slowly, her brows furrowing in confusion.

"I'm Ms Joans." The woman introduced. "I represent the adoption agency you filed in a request for a child with your husband..." There was some shuffling of papers. "Almost three years ago."

Adriana wasn't surprised often, but she almost dropped her phone at this.

"Mrs Mikaelson?" Ms Joans inquired on the other end of the line. "Are you okay?"

She'd completely forgotten. _They_ had completely forgotten.

Yes, blame everything on that cursed Mikaelson.

That had been before the drama, when she and Elijah had come to an agreement. She knew the adoption process would take a long time, but not this long.

"Mrs Mikaelson, we've tried to contact your husband, but his phone is turned off. Could you tell me where he is?"

"Work." She managed to squeak out stumbling to her feet and pacing frantically. "He's working."

Could she do it? Bring a baby into this chaos? Paint a permenant target on its back just by slight association? It was a selfish thing to do, extremely selfish.

Yet again, she was an extremely selfish person. All she had to do was make sure they didn't contact Elijah and give him even more of a reason to come after her. She wasn't heavily involved in the chaos anymore anyway.

Perfect.

It was all too perfect.

"Well, Mrs Mikaelson." She could hear Mrs Joan's smile through the voice. "How would you like to meet your new baby? I'll send you the address. Is tomorrow okay?"

"I'll be there." Adriana smiled, the grin slowly transforming into a smirk. "You can count on it."

"I'll see you tomorrow then, Mrs Mikaelson."

"Thank you Ms Joans." She nodded, bringing the phone away from her ear and hanging up. "Goodbye."

Everything was slowly falling into place.

"See, Elijah." She muttered to herself. "I can survive by myself. Shows all that you know."

"I still doubt that." A stern voice stated clearly, approximately a few feet away from her- and drawing nearer. "I happen to know quite a lot of things, Adriana."

Her eyes widened in realisation.

 _Elijah._

Burn it all to the very pits of Pluto. Burn it. Burn it. Burn it!

Where was a Demetri when she actually needed him?

The idiot.

The unreliable idiot.

Adriana picked up her pace, carefully slipping into the large crowd in the street, bringing some perfume out of her purse and spraying it on her neck and wrists. Partially covering her scent so he couldn't track her as well as usual.

She could hear him, also slipping into the very same crowd and walking closer and closer.

Closer.

Too close.

Just a few rows of people away from her now.

She had to lose him.

Pulling up the hood of her black coat to cover her neck., she stepped past a few more crowds of people, her speed verging on her vampiric one. She couldn't draw attention to herself.

Not now.

Especially not now.

Ducking into a side street, she flashed away, using her speed to lose him in the busy streets. Before she disappeared, she could see the very top of his polished shoes, the toes turned to walk into that very side street.

Checking around her as she slipped into Marcels loft she breathed out a heavy sigh of relief.

He wasn't anywhere near her.

"Adriana?" Josh called out, running towards her with a panicked expression. "Is Davina with you?"

"What?" She asked, turning to glare at the boy. "You where supposed to look after her!"

"It's my fault." She supposed it was Aiden who coughed. "We got distracted."

"Really?" She drawled out, knowing exactly what was going on. Hormones, such a wonderful thing. "Then why are you still standing here like idiots? Go. Search the catacombs if you have to!"

If Adriana Mafiay could pinpoint the one exact thing she hated about Demetri, it would be the fact that he disappeared at the most infuriating times.

Where was he?

Oh, wait, she knew exactly what he was doing.

Getting some poor girl pregnant, and probably using magic to abort it before she even realised.

That sadistic, overly perverted, idiot.

Honestly, they were over nine hundred years old, not their actual physical ages.

But, no. He apparently couldn't get that through his thick skull.

Pouring herself a drink, Adriana sighed heavily, taking a sip and frowning when she noticed one of the windows was wide open. Cool air blowing into the room. Frowning, she stood up, dragging her chair with her and standing on it to close the window. Managing to lock it shut, she frowned slightly. Convinced that it had been closed earlier.

"As certain as the sun rising in the East."

She turned around at the voice, cautiously stepping off the chair and looking around her, noting how even the very air and shadows were still in the room.

"As certain as the demons that prowl in the darkness of night."

Something moved behind her, the male voice seeming to echo around the room, bouncing back from plaster walls and swirling around her in a toxic mixture of terror and seduction.

"I shall come, as one of these demons."

She stared, that's the only thing she could do, before her was a map of New Orleans, showing every building and alley in spectacular detail. She could almost see it, every head of every person that lived in the city.

The most terrifying thing was, that it was burning before her eyes. Crimson orange flames greedily eating away at the paper.

 _My endless patience is wearing thin..._

 _Come home. Now._

 _This city will burn._

"No." She whispered, frantically looking around her, only to see the figure leaning against her only exist, easily able to grab her if necessary. "No. No. No!"

"I shall come." The figure recited calmly, reading from the leather book in his hand. "And I shall claim what is mine."

"Elijah." She whispered, feeling sick down to the very depths of her stomach.

"Hello Adriana." Her husband greeted, closing the book and raising his head to look at her. "You won't believe the wonderful conversation I just had with the adoption centre. It appears we will both have to be somewhere tomorrow morning."

 _I've done it before, and I can just as easily do it again._


	25. Soldatino

**AN: Hello! Things start to turn on their head this chapter so beware! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Soldatino**

* * *

 **In which bloody hands are clean**

* * *

She hated him.

Oh, how she _despised_ his very existence.

The artificial light flicked over his face as he drove, his jaw clenched shut and his knuckles white on the steering wheel. She glared at him from the passenger seat, her back pressed against the cool door, trying to get as far away from him as possible. A deep scowl graced her lips, her brown eyes glaring at him while his were set firmly on the road in front of him.

He was angry at her. Most likely furious at the very best.

Good.

Let him be.

Maybe then, he could feel the tip of what she had been through.

Oh, how she hated him.

"Speak." His voice broke the tense silence, though his tone was hard and stern. "Before you do something you will regret in front of our child."

"They are my child." Adriana corrected, her voice even colder than his. "We're getting divorced, remember? I retain full custody."

"We'll see about that." Elijah muttered under his breath.

"Pardon." Adriana hissed lowly, hearing him perfectly well. "What did you do?"

"Nothing."

"You did something. Admit it."

Elijah only shrugged, uncaring of her reaction. Tthe car slowly pulled into the driveway of a large building, it's windows covered with colourful childish drawings of stick figures and butterflies. Glancing to the back seat, Adriana's eyes were immediately drawn to the car seat. Her features softens rapidly, her inhuman hearing picking up the giggles and happy squeals of children within the building.

Elijah watched her carefully, shutting off the engine and stepping out of the car, Adriana also stepping out of the vehicle.

"Look." The voice of a elderly women was soft, she could barely discern it from giggling children. "I think that's them, baby boy. Elijah and Adriana Mikaelson, business giants. Oh, you're going to be the happiest boy in the world."

She looked up, able to faintly see a figure standing in one of the furthest windows, a small baby in her arms- probably no more than six months old.

So, this was him.

Elijah knocked on the door, letting his hands fall to his sides, hurried footsteps running down creaking steps to answer the knock.

"Hi, are you Mr and Mrs Mikaelson?" The woman smiled, accepting Elijah's ID with a small nod of satisfaction. "Come in."

Endless amounts of paperwork and verification later, Adriana stood by the door, watching Elijah and the social worker talk quietly, bouncing softly on her heels. Anxiety taking over.

"Excuse me. Mrs Mikaelson?"

"Yes?" Adriana asked turning around to come face to face with the woman she heard speaking earlier.

"Would you like to hold your new son?" The lady offered, holding out the sleeping baby boy.

With shaking hands and a soft smile Adriana accepted the six month old baby boy. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Elijah turn to them, his own brown eyes softening.

He had a small fringe of darkening blonde hair, baby hairs growing all over his head. Small pink lips parted slightly in sleep, revealing toothless gums to her. His skin was pale, but possessed the light tan that she herself also had. He stirred slightly in her arms, causing her to adjust him slightly. He blinked awake, his soft whimpering silencing as quickly as it came as she cooed down at him. Small hands grabbed at her blouse. Deep brown eyes blinked up at her.

And she immediately fell in love.

"What is his name?" She whispered softly, the baby sitting in her arms starting to poke at her cheek. Cooeing back at her and giggling.

"He doesn't have one, not officially anyway." The woman admitted, Adriana blinking in confusion. "He came to us only a few weeks ago, abandoned at the doorstep the poor babe. We haven't had any time to give him a proper one."

"Ulrik." Elijah spoke up, walking towards them and taking the baby boy from Adriana's arms. "I think I shall name you Ulrik."

The newly named Ulrik babbled, sending a toothless grin and a small giggle to Elijah.

"I like Ulrik." Adriana admitted, slightly begrudgingly, letting Ulrik play with her painted fingers. The boy apparently fascinated by her red painted nails. Ignorant to the fact that both their hands had been soaked in blood. "It's a strong name for a strong boy."

"Ulrik Mikaelson." Elijah nodded, humming slightly in approval. "My son…"

Adriana watched them both carefully. Watching how Ulrik poked at Elijah's face, the feared Original only laughing and bouncing him in the air.

Their hands were soaked in blood. They practically bathed in the red substance. These hands were deemed unfit to even go near children, let alone touch them. They had the hands of murderer. Of monsters. Their hands would be soaked in blood again, there was no doubt about it.

Looking down, her slightly trembling hands curled in on themselves. Her nails dug into her palms, just shy from breaking skin.

Klaus had a child. Why couldn't they?

She'd sacrificed so much. So, so much for the people she deemed family, and had nothing to show for it. Klaus had done nothing, and yet everything went okay for him in the end.

They, however, remained broken. While Klaus always got his own way.

How was that fair? It wasn't.

It wasn't fair at all.

Saying her goodbyes to the women, Adriana followed Elijah and Ulrik to the car, her hands still shaking as she tied the baby into the car seat. Sitting next to him in the backseat and allowing him to continue to play with her hands.

No, it wasn't fair.

Meeting her husbands eyes in the mirror, she came to a, reluctant, and silent conclusion.

Deep down inside, they both hated Niklaus.

Why?

Because he had everything they secretly wished for.

"Hello Adriana." Rebekah greeted her with a smile, her smile widening when she saw the baby resting in her arms. "And who is my new nephew?"

"Ulrik Mikaelson." Elijah answered, stepping out the car and facing his sister. "I believe 'noble ruler' suits him best."

"Excuse me." Adriana murmured, sensing the unspoken tension between the siblings. "I would like to see my niece."

Leaving the porch and entering the house, Adriana adjusted Ulrik in her arms, immediately seeing the baby girl sat in the middle of a circle of cushions.

"Why, hello again." Adriana smiled at Hope, setting Ulrik down next to her and smiling as the two took an immediate interest in each other. "Ulrik, this is your cousin Hope. Hope, this is your cousin Ulrik."

Narrowing his eyes, Ulrik reached out and poked Hope in the chest. The hybrids daughters eyes widening, her face beginning to scrunch up as the whimpers started.

"Ulrik." Adriana scolded, her accent coming out heavy as she scooped up Hope and placed her slightly away from her son. "That was not a kind thing to do."

In reply, Hope's whimpers quickly died down, but Ulrik's started soon after.

"Oh, _il mio soldatino_." Adriana sighed, scooping up Ulrik and placing him on her hip. "What am I to do with you?"

"Can you not last five minutes with children, gypsy girl?" Elijah sighed, walking into the room with his hands shoved in his pockets. "At least the house hasn't burnt down in my small absence."

"Are you trying to say something about me?" Adriana asked lowly, turning to her now silent son with an amused look. "Ulrik, tell Elijah he is an idiot."

"Ulrik, do not listen to your Mother." Elijah stated, walking forwards and easily taking his son from his wife's hold. "You are my son, and therefore you should always be on my side. I command it as your Father."

"You are not his Father." Adriana hissed lowly, remaining in her place for fear of accidentally hurting her child.

"How about you talk to our lawyer Adriana, I'm certain he would disagree with you." Elijah simply stated, walking closer to Hope and smiling down at his niece. "Hi, sweetheart."

"What is she doing?" Adriana muttered, seeing Rebekah's newly formed pile of wood out of the window. Exchanging a look with Elijah, she gently picked Hope of the floor and walked out of the house, her husband stopping next to her with Ulrik in his hands.

"Is that what I think it is?" Elijah asked his sister in confusion.

"It's bonfire season." Rebekah exclaimed excitedly, a giant grin on her face. "And _I_ am reviving a family tradition. Especially since we're _all_ going to be together."

"Hope, I think auntie Rebekah has finally lost it." Adriana whispered to the child in her arms. "She somehow is under the strange delusion that your Father isn't going to slaughter me on sight."

"Only because we're fleeing from one of our deranged parents. Another Mikaelson tradition." Elijah pointed out, allowing Ulrik to poke at his face without complaint. "It's a peculiar thing- never to be tired, yet forever exhausted by the sameness of things. Why is our family always at war?"

"I don't know." Rebekah admitted, "But, being away with her made me see things differently. We're not so bad. We're not the _monsters_ that our parents think we are."

As if on cue, a black car pulled up on the drive, Elijah instinctively stepping closer to Adriana. He too wary of his brothers wrath. Before the car could even park, Hayley rushed out of the passenger door, running towards them. She froze when she saw Hope in Adriana's arms, the Italian woman gracefully stepping off the porch and gliding towards the hybrid woman. Handing her Hope with a small nod, Adriana turned on her heel and returned to the porch. Ulrik immediately beginning to play with her nails once more when she offered her son her hand to fiddle with so he would stop pushing his fingers into Elijah's face.

"Hi!" Hayley greeted her daughter, holding her tight to her chest and letting out a long sigh of relief. Behind her, Klaus looked slightly to overwhelmed to move, Hope cooeing at them both happily.

Unable to watch the happy little family, Adriana turned away from them, trying desperately to regain her composure and wipe away the tears of jealousy and sadness.

She was Adriana Mafiay, she would not weep like some petty little girl.

Glancing down at her, Elijah frowned deeply. Restraining himself from growling lowly, Elijah wrapped an arm around Adriana's waist. Holding her close while their son happily rested in between them.

"Adriana Mafiay." Klaus spoke up lowly, Adriana meeting his harsh gaze with a simple raised eyebrow. Showing fear meant showing weakness, and she was not weak. "I see you've come crawling back… How pathetic."

Before Adriana could even open her mouth, Elijah passed her Ulrik and turned to face his brother.

"Be careful Niklaus." Elijah warned, his voice even lower than his brothers and bordering on a growl.

"You defend her?" Klaus scoffed, Rebekah and Hayley watching the brothers hopelessly while Adriana just stared at the floorboards below her feet. Her sons head resting calmly in the crook of her neck. "She is our enemy, send her away."

"No." Elijah said bluntly, his cold stare increasing tenfold. "If you want her gone then you'll have to get through me first. You are strong Niklaus, but you just barely scrape past me when I'm in a fury. Trust me, if you even look at my wife or son in a way I don't like, your head will find itself suddenly detached from your shoulders. That is my only warning to you."

"Son?" Klaus blinked stupidly, finally seeing the baby boy that clutched to Adriana. "What's his name?"

"Ulrik." Adriana hesitantly spoke up, stroking Ulrik's head as he babbled to her. "His name is Ulrik."

Klaus nodded in acceptance, turning his attention back to his daughter without another word. The tension in Adriana's shoulders disappeared as she choked out a sigh of relief.

"Curse on the first born?" Rebekah asked sometime after the explanation. "What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, according to Finn, our sister Freya didn't die of plague." Klaus began. "She was taken as payment by our aunt Dahlia, who then cursed all Mikaelson first borns for eternity."

"Sounds like a big fat lie made out of desperation to me." Adriana scoffed, sat down on the grass with Ulrik on her lap. "If I had anything to gain, I would ask for a rare item or something. Not an innocent child. No offense to this Dahlia chick or anything, but she sounds very stupid in my opinion."

"It is if we are to believe Finn, who learned it from the bastion of truth, our mother." Elijah pointed out, agreeing with his wife.

"Well, no wonder Finn hates us." Rebekah shrugged. "He lost the sister he adored, and instead got a judgy pack of siblings who found him unbearably _dull."_

"Great." Hayley muttered sarcastically. "So, is there any chance of us running into your loony aunt Dahlia any time soon?"

"The fable's over a thousand years old. Dahlia is long dead." Elijah stated, standing next to Adriana who nodded in agreement.

"Like Esther?" Hayley asked.

"No one's going to hurt Hope, because no one's going to find her." Klaus said, pausing for a few seconds. "There's enough wood, Rebekah. You'll burn down the whole bloody state of Arkansas."

"Well, we're just missing a key ingredient." Rebekah exclaimed, rubbing her hands together.

"No, we're not." Klaus sighed.

"Yes, we are, Nik! Back me up, Elijah."

"I suspect Niklaus would rather choke on the ashes." Elijah laughed.

"What are you all talking about?" Hayley spoke up in confusion.

"Yes Klaus." Adriana chimed in, drawling out her words. "What ever are we talking about?"

"Well, before we light it, we write down our wishes for each other to burn for luck." Rebekah explained when Klaus didn't move to speak. "It was Kol's _favorite_ part when we were kids!"

"It's further evidence as to why we should ignore it." Klaus stated.

"Hope's first bonfire season." Hayley thought over, Adriana and Elijah both giving her pointed looks for forgetting their own child. She was oblivious to that of course. "I like it. We're doing it!"

"Adriana." Elijah spoke up, seeing Adriana stood in front of a large window with a napping Ulrik in her arms, staring into the distance. "What's wrong?"

"I never did tell you, did I?" Adriana murmured. "Why the witches originally took my daughter."

"It was rude to pry into a personal matter." Elijah said, moving to stand next to her.

"They were testing out a spell." Adriana said, after a few short seconds. "They thought it was right to punish me after my betrayal of the clan, so they took the fruit of my betrayal and tested unknown spells on her. Then, one day, they snapped her out of my grip entirely and used a blood sacrifice to send her spinning through time. As she didn't reappear, they thought she was dead."

"They used her too cut you deeper than anything." Elijah nodded, turning to Adriana with a sad glimmer in his eyes. "Adriana, you need to let her go."

"I don't want to." Adriana said, managing to keep her voice level. "I want to believe that she's still my baby and that nothing has changed."

"But she's not." Elijah argued gently, taking Ulrik from her. "Adriana, even though she may technically be your daughter, she's also not. Gypsy girl, I'm sorry, but you need to let go."

"Why ask me?" She asked quietly, turning to look up at him. "You can easily compel me to do it, why not do that now?"

"Because something's you have to do by yourself." He explained, looking deep into her eyes.

"I don't want to."

"But you have to."

She looked away from him gently accepting her son as she continued to stare of into the distance.

"Hey! Look what I found!" Rebekah exclaimed once they were all assembled outside, holding up a Polaroid camera. "I wonder if it'll work?"

"Oh, bloody hell." Klaus muttered flatly.

"Come on, let's try it." Rebekah near begged. "Hey, Nik, do you think you can cram us all into a selfie?"

"Oh, Niklaus is a virtuoso at cramming his siblings into confined spaces." Elijah smirked, shifting Ulrik in his arms while Adriana choked on her laugh.

"Well, I'm just glad I traveled hundreds of miles to visit my mentally ill brother, only to have him insult me to my face."

"Oh, come on, just take the picture!"

Adriana laughed and slid herself in front of Elijah, standing next to Ulrik and smiling up at the camera like everyone else while Klaus remained with a blank face.

"Aw, see?" Rebekah cooed as the picture developed in front of them. "I wish that it could always be like this."

"If wishes were horses..." Elijah stared.

"Beggars would ride." Klaus finished. "You realize we'll have to burn it. You want me to make a wish for the family, Rebekah? I wish it didn't have to be like this. But, it does." He looked down, handing the picture to Hayley. "We can't risk it falling into the wrong hands."

Hayley took a long look at the picture, before reluctantly throwing it into the bonfire.

"No. This isn't _right_." Rebekah cried out, obviously distressed. "We deserve this. We've _earned_ this."

"Rebekah-" Adriana started, only to be cut off, Ulrik beginning to whimper in her arms.

"I won't let it slip away." Rebekah cut her off. "I know what to do to stop Esther."

"Rebekah, no-" Elijah started, only to be cut off too.

"I'm going to take her deal." Rebekah stated. "And, when I do, I'm taking her down with me."

"I'm going to put Ulrik to bed." Adriana muttered, holding him tightly to chest and daring them all to make a move to stop her. "It's been a long day."

"Oh, _il mil soldatino._ " She sighed, setting Ulrik down in the crib. "I am a selfish person aren't I?"

Elijah glanced at her from where he leaned against the doorframe. She glanced back at him, and then down at a sleeping Ulrik, her hands slowly forming small fists.

Make no mistake, she still hated him.


	26. Who Are You?

**AN: Hey everybody! Sorry to leave this update for so long but this chapter was _hard_ to write. I seem to be saying that a lot lately... oh well. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Who Are You?**

* * *

 **In which we meet Other**

* * *

Adriana Mafiay was used to a cold bed.

She was used to betrayal, to the sinking feeling that entered her senses when the musky scent of sex clinged to her husbands skin when he returned from long nights away.

She is not, however, used to another persons memories scorned into her brain. She refused to believe this women was her. Used to be her.

She refused to believe it.

Adriana lay alone on her bed, staring up at the white ceiling with a frown on her face. Ulrik slept silently a few feet away from her, having denied to stay in his own crib for the whole night.

The other her, the one lingering around the edges of her memories, had also been called Adriana. A brown haired widow whose husband had died in battle, leaving her alone to nurse her daughter.

Adriana laughed bitterly in the face of irony. Only for irony to laugh back at her.

 _"Adriana." An elderly voice scolded the humming girl. "You're husband is not dead three days and yet you're already humming life away. People will start to think you killed him."_

 _"Yes Mother." The girl muttered, stopping her humming aruptedly. The baby girl next to her immediately starting to cry at the loss of the comforting sound. "Oh, Mother. Now look what you've caused. Hush Sygrid. There is no need to cry."_

Adriana's eyes snapped open, a soft scowl forming on her face once more.

"Stupid memories." She muttered under her breath, checking that Ulrik was still soundly asleep before slipping out of the bed. "Can't just leave me alone for five minutes."

 _"Didn't I tell you to leave?" Adriana asked her husband coldly, crossing her arms and eyeing the drunken man warily._

 _"Didn't I tell you I was staying?" Tayte replied, glaring back at her as he sharpened his sword just outside their hut. "Where is our daughter?"_

 _"Asleep." Adriana said, leaning against the door and glaring at his weapon with narrowed eyes. "Will you please put that away?"_

 _"Is everything okay here?" A strong voice interrupted, both of them turning their head to face the speaker._

 _"Chief." Adriana addressed Mikael, standing up straighter and glaring pointedly at her husband. "Please tell this idiot that he can not put his newly sharpened swords in our daughters room to, and I do quote, test her reaction."_

 _"Mikael, tell my wife that she is being insanely overprotective." Tayte argued before Mikael could get a word in._

Adriana groaned and roughly slammed her head against a nearby wall, trying to ignore Elijah and Hayley's mingled scents. Growling lowly under her breath.

"Stupid Mikaelson." She snarled, her hands ruling into fists.

 _Soft whimpers filled Adriana's ears as she tried to stare down her husband._

 _"Excuse me, but my daughter needs my attention." She bit out civilly, turning on the sole of her shoe. "Chief, I do not wish to see my husband until he is no longer a slurring mess. It's not a full moon, drop him in the forest or something."_

Adriana's feet moved on their own accord, approaching the soft whimpers that no human hearing could be able to pick up. Opening the door, Adriana met the eyes of Hope. The baby girl grasping at the bars of the crib with her eyes as wide as the moon outside.

"Hey _principessa_." Adriana smiled softly, still wrinkling her nose slightly at the mingled scents of her husband and another woman. "Where's your Mama?"

Hope was completely silent now, staring up at her with innocent eyes.

"You know what I think?" She continued. "I think that she's been doing something very naughty with Elijah. Stupid woman."

Hope's pout increased, her arms moving to trap at Adriana's hands that dangled over the crib. She too, like Ulrik, fascinated by her red painted nails.

"What is you want?" Adriana muttered, moving her fingertips as Hope tried to grab at her hand once more.

 _"Mother." Sygrid gurgled happily, clapping her hands together. "Mother. Mother. Mother."_

 _"Mama." Another voice spoke up, Adriana turning around. Noting how the wooden hut had been turned into a giant forest. "Mama." The green eyes of Cienna stared back at her, glazed over with worry. "What is wrong?"_

 _There's a monster living inside my head._ Adriana wanted to shout, her eyes brimming with tears as the intermingled attacked her senses once more. Hope staring up at her with worry as the usually cold woman fell to her knees. _And the worst part? The worst part is, that the monster is me._

"Come here." Adriana whispered, picking up Hope and letting the girl rest her head on her shoulder. "Your Aunt Adriana is a bit mad you see Hope. Though, aren't we all?"

Taking in a deep breath, Adriana left the room with Hope still in her arms. Walking past Hayley's room with a deep sneer on her face, muttering about incompetent mothers. Softly opening her door and seeing Ulrik still sleeping soundly on her bed, Adriana gently put Hope into Ulrik's cot. The daughter of the feared hybrid already fast asleep.

Slipping into her own bed, Adriana closed her eyes and relaxed.

"Where am I?" She whispered to herself, not able to take her eyes of the shifting images behind her. "Did someone drug me?"

"You're a vampire, you idiot." An indentical sounding voice scoffed, Adriana turning around to see her carbon copy sitting cross legged on the black white floor a few feet away from her. "Have we seriously got to this point of stupidity? I had higher hopes for us."

"Adriana I presume." Adriana scoffed, crossing her arms and staring at her former self.

"Nice to meet you, other me." Adriana smiled, waving her hand at the other self. "Shame, it seems that I am still the more beautiful one out of the two of us."

"Pity." Adriana stated bluntly, her eyes trailing over their others long brown hair that fell into her eyes, the only difference between them.

"A terrible one." Other Adriana agreed, choosing to ignore Adriana's sarcasm. "Now, sweetheart, I'm going to need your body."

"What?"

"What?" Other shrugged, resting her hand on her knee and staring back at Adriana. "I need to find my husband, you need to get away from yours. Good deal on either side in my opinion."

"You're not having my body." Adriana growled back, immediately on guard. "Demetri is still out there."

"Really?" Other purred back, tilting her head and being the exact mirror image of Adriana. "But we're here now, and nothing here is as it seems. Not even us."

"And what do you mean by that?" Adriana asked, folding her arms and glaring at Other.

"Now that." Other grinned, leaning back and choosing to stare at the white walls around them. "Would be telling."

Adriana jerked awake then, gasping for unneeded breath, her eyes meeting the panic brown ones of Hayley as the hybrid ran into the room. Shouting about Hope missing, only to become deathly silent when she saw the girl in the cot.

"Can I help you Hayley?" Adriana asked after a few seconds of silence, glancing beside her to see Ulrik still fast asleep. "You seem to be in distress."

"You stole my baby." Hayley growled lowly, her hands slowly forming fists.

"Really?" Adriana drawled out calmly. "Maybe you should pay more attention to your child, and not have sex with other women's men."

This didn't help her situation.

At all.

Hayley lunged for her, her golden eyes glowing brightly and her lips pulling back with a snarl. Calmly, Adriana sidestepped her grabbing the collar of her shirt, and holding her thrashing body in her grip for a few seconds.

 _"What the hell is going on here, Adriana?"_

 _Adriana turned around breathing heavily, a huge wooden spoon in her death grip as she waved it viciously at the man that had suddenly walked into her home._

 _"Tayte. Who is this? Do you know him?"_

 _"Of course I know him you_ _dum kvinne." Tayte sighed, snatching the spoon from her vice grip, holding onto to the back of her dress as she kicked and protested to the insult."This is Finn. Finn Mikaelson."_

Without even fully realising what she was doing, Adriana panicked and pushed Hayley away from her. Her ears ringing as she heard the other female crash into the wall just beyond her bedroom door.

"Take your baby and go." Adriana growled at her falling into her bed and cooeing over Ulrik until he calmed down. "I have no more to say to you."

 _Glancing at her husband and then back to the chiefs eldest son, Adriana let out a noise askin to a scoff. Shrugging off her husbands grip on her with a pointed look._

 _"A little warning would have been nice." She scoffed, glaring at her husband before turning back to Finn with a polite smile. "My apologies, I thought you were a rogue that had come to raid my home. You'll have to forgive my reaction."_

 _"Calm the hell down woman." Tayte mumbled under his breath, rubbing his head when Adriana snatched the large wooden spoon and roughly hit him over the head with it. "What was that for you he_ _stemunnet utroskap?"_

 _This time Tayte stepping out of reach when the spoon came flying towards him once more._

 _"I'm two moons pregnant." Adriana smiled, as if she hadn't of just tried to hit her husband. "I will do what I like."_

"Rebekah, it's me again." Elijah spoke into his phone, sounding extremely stressed. "Please call."

Adriana sat in the chair away from them a bit, silently glancing at the two while a happy Ulrik played with her hair while she bounced him on her knee.

"Yahtzee!" Cami laughed happily, bringing out a bottle of bourbon. "If there's one thing I've learned about you people, it's that there's always a bottle of booze around. You want one?"

"Sounds delightful." Elijah smiled condescendingly. "And after that, Camille, then what? We have another, and another, perhaps another after that, another after that... Before long, I find myself opening up to you, or- baring my damaged soul, as it were. It's an old trick, Camille. Not a particularly clever one."

"Leave her alone, Elijah." Adriana spoke up, her eyes narrowed as she shot her husband a look. The two walking into the same room as her. "At least she is trying, and that's more than you've ever done."

"Do you have something to say Adriana?" Elijah asked, turning to her. "Or was that broken wall and Hayley's head injury enough for you?"

"Do you have something to say in your defence?" Adriana shot back. "Or was the smell that still lingers around this house enough for you to admit defeat?"

Ulrik started to whimper in Adriana's arms.

"Give me my son Adriana."

"No. I won't."

"Your mother _really_ did a number on you lot, didn't she?" Cami asked them placing a game in the table between them as Elijah sat on the chair next to Adriana's. "Has it ever occurred to you that I'm less interested in fixing your problems and more interested in forgetting my own? I mean, I'm basically in a supernatural witness protection program because _your_ psychotic brother- who, by the way, I practically had to seduce wants me dead. So, yeah- booze and board games is pretty much where I'm at right now."

There was a tense silence for a few moments, Adriana letting Elijah take Ulrik out of her arms when the blonde baby started to reach out for his Father.

"Here's a question." Cami started. "What was the name of Don Quixote's horse?"

"This is absurd." Elijah muttered, holding Ulrik to his chest as the boy talked without words.

"Fine. Dumb idea." Cami agreed, putting down the card. "How are you too by the way? I heard you were getting a divorce and Elijah was sleeping with Hayley, but here you are with an adopted son. What's with that?"

"Rocinante." Elijah answered, exchanging a look with Adriana. Both of them knowing Camille had them stuck between a rock and a hard place. "The horse's name is Rocinante."

"What is the full name of novelist C. S Lewis?" Cami asked, Adriana answering the question before Elijah could answer.

"Clive Staples Lewis." She stated, smiling down at Ulrik as played with his teddy next to her. "Great guy."

"What three European countries begin with the letter A?" She asked, frustrated now as she picked up yet another card.

"Albania, Austria, Andorra." Elijah listed off.

"Okay, hey!" Cami called out, becoming even more frustrated. "Who was the only U.S. president to earn a Ph.D?"

"The rather _tedious_ Woodrow Wilson." Adriana answered, a small sneer of her face in memory of the man. "Saw himself above all women."

" _Who_ rode Secretary to the Triple Crown in 1973-"

"Ron Turket." Elijah said, cutting her off.

"No!" Cami denied, throwing up her arms in exasperation. "I _refuse_ to believe that you two just _happened_ to know all that." In her drunkenness, she splashed some bourbon onto Elijah's shirt sleeve. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Elijah. Here."

Adriana raised her hand to rub away a growing headache, a quick flash of a wooden hut and a laughing brunette appearing before her eyes. Her ears turning to static as the world around her dimmed for a second.

The small hand that touched her arm brought her back to the second, Ulrik staring up at her with wide, concerned eyes.

"I'm okay, _soldatino."_ She reassured him, a watery smile on her face. "I'm fine…"

"I'm not as fragile as my brother suggests." Elijah was telling Cami, his hand wrapped around her wrist.

The ringing a the phone ruined the tense atmosphere in the room, Elijah answering it quickly.

"Rebekah, where on Earth are you?" Elijah asked, holding the phone to his ear. Adriana looking down in concern as a confused female voice spoke at the other end. "I see. No, I must have been dialing the wrong number. Forgive me."

Adriana stood in front of the bathroom mirror, her so hands tight around the ceramic basing that spiderweb cracks had formed under her fingertips.

"This is my body." She growled into the mirror, her reflection seeming to smirk at her. "You can't have it."

"Bad things happen when you refuse your own soul Adriana." Her reflection spoke, Adriana clenching her eyes shut as she continued to hallucinate. "At this rate neither of us will be in that shell."

"Go to hell." Adriana spat at Other, the reflection only raising an eyebrow at her.

"I've been there, the devil didn't like me much." Other replied calmly. Her hallucination not even flinching as Adriana brought her hand up and let the mirror smash under her closed fist. The glass shards falling to the floor as she drew her hand back to her chest. Breathing heavily.

"Elijah?" Adriana heared Cami ask as she exited the bathroom, glancing to find Ulrik dozing off in the chair. His teddy pressed tightly against his chest. "Elijah, are you okay? Hey, I know you're worried about Rebekah..."

"Camille." Adriana stated, striding into the room with her head held high, as if she wasn't near a complete mental breakdown. "I strongly recommend you step back."

Cami stepped back silently as Adriana walked forward, her heels clicking against the floor. Raising her hand, Adriana lay a hand on Elijah's shoulder. Not even flinching when he suddenly turned around and latched onto her face.

"Wake up." Adriana commanded, staring Elijah in the eye as Camille watched them curiously. "You think you are the only one going through this inner turmoil? You're wrong. Stop thinking about yourself Elijah. This red door is ripping you apart from the inside out, I understand. You don't know how much I understand. I have two different lives running through my head because of you Elijah. Think about that for a moment and spare us all this self pity."

Stepping back, she allowed Elijah to leave, following his figure as he left the room at human pace.

The ringing in her head came back once more, the age old Italian raising a hand to her temple and sighing lowly.

"Adriana, are you okay?" Cami asked in concern, glancing at the door Elijah left through and then at the other woman.

"I'm fine." Adriana answered quickly.

In the back of her mind, Adriana swore she heard herself laughing.

Having put Ulrik down in his crib, Adriana watched Camilles and Elijah's interaction from the doorway, a warm mug in her hands.

"I owe you an apology." Elijah stated, shifting uncomfortablely as he stepped closer. "My sister's missing, my family's in jeopardy, I am... uh, utterly powerless to help them. This is not a state of affairs I'm accustomed to. Perhaps I'm not weathering this ordeal as well as one would hope. Forgive me."

Adriana turned away from them, glancing a glimpse of her reflection moving without her, looking slightly frightened.

"If you ever want to talk about it..." Cami trailed off, smiling forgivingly at him. "It's kind of what I do."

"What have you done?" Other screamed at Adriana, the hallucination appearing next to her. "What's happening to us?"

"I'll tell you when I know." Adriana mumbled, her grip on the mug tightening ever so slightly.

She leaned back on the counter, Other disappearing with a snarl in her direction.

Taking in a sharp intake, Adriana felt the mug slip from her fingers as she fell to the floor, the ringing in her head becoming louder and louder. She landed on her knees, her mug shattering in front of her as she screamed, the sound ripping through Elijah's head as he ran inside, having heard the shattering of ceramic.

"Adriana?" He asked, Cami quickly entering after him. "Adriana, talk to me. What's wrong?"

She was silent, the sound of her heavy breathing bouncing off of the walls as she stared at the floor, her eyes flickering in a different direction every few seconds.

"Adriana? Adriana!" Elijah continued to ask, holding her in his arms. "If this is about Hayley- I made a stupid mistake okay." He was becoming frantic now. "Do anything you want. Shout, scream, cry, curse me to hell. Please Adriana, just look at me. Talk to me."

Adriana's face dragged up, her brown eyes staring at his for a few seconds, tears running down her cheeks.

All was silent for a moment, and then Adriana opened her mouth.

Elijah had expected something a curse maybe, a sneer and a roll of her eyes as she shoved him off her. He wasn't, however, expecting what did come out of her mouth. The three syllables he never wanted to hear from her making him choke on unnecessary breath.

"I'm sorry." Adriana spoke, staring back at him with confusion. "But, who _are_ you?"


	27. Goddess Of Red

**AN: Hey everybody! Something different about this chapter, because guess what? IT'S FROM ELIJAHS POINT OF VIEW! Well, seeing as I use third person it's not really from anyone's POV, but we get to hear Elijah's thoughts on things instead of just Adriana's. No fear, we will return to Adriana's thoughts next chapter- this is just a little one of to get things from Elijah's perspective. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Goddess Of Red**

* * *

 **In which there are two sides to every story**

* * *

Elijah, despite what most may say, loved Adriana. In his own twisted sense.

He loved her enough to keep her, but he could never trust her enough to let her go.

That is why, when she stared up at him with those cold, blank brown eyes, his heart shattered into a million pieces.

"Adriana." Elijah choked out, his voice trailing off into a whisper. "Adriana, this isn't funny."

She couldn't have forgotten him, she just couldn't have.

"Adriana." The round brown eyes blinked once more. "Is that my name?"

The only thing Elijah could do was stare at her.

No. _No_. Please...

 _Adriana laughed happily as Kol continued to mess about, dragging her along with a huge grin on his face. Her bright smile and curious brown eyes making Elijah's heart melt, the melody of her laugh spread through the forest they were travelling in. Even the trees leaning closer to hear the beautiful sound better._

 _Why couldn't she look at him like that?_

 _Kol was going to take her away, he knew it. It wasn't Adriana's fault that she was so beautiful, he just just didn't trust his brother. Kol was going to snatch her away and rip that beauty apart with his devious little talons. Kol would take her away. Destroy her. Rip apart his beauty gypsy girl just to spite him. He would make Adriana forget him._

 _No, he couldn't let it happen. He wouldn't allow it._

 _"Adriana." His emotions were guarded and his voice stiff as her directed a glare in Kol's direction. He wouldn't allow his brother to know that he was bothering him. "Come here."_

 _Adriana's happy expression immediately fell as she appeared next to him, her eyes cast to the ground below him._

 _No. No, please don't look like that. Why can't you smile for me?_

 _I just want to keep you to myself. I don't hate you. I just want to keep you. Why can't you understand that?_

 _Little Adriana. Gypsy girl. The woman twice dead. My North Star and touchstone._

 _Mi dispiace._

 _I'm sorry._

 _I'm so sorry._

Red started to seep into his vision, the running woman with brown hair stumbling into the red door deep within his mind. Red. It was everywhere. The colour of her painted lips, the colour of the roses placed into a vase, the colour of blood. Adriana's favourite colour was red. The deep red. The colour of blood that spilled from the necks of her enemies, the colour that dripped off of her pearl white fangs as she smirked with the glory of victory.

"You're not Adriana." He growled lowly, the imposters identical brown eyes widening in fear. "Who are you? What the hell have you done to my wife?"

The imposter trembled in fear, it's shaking hands pushing against the floor as it moved itself away from him.

Yes. He almost purred in satisfaction. Fear me. Fear me and tell me where my angel is. Where my goddess of red is hidden away from my worship and protection.

You, filthy little imposter, jealousy scorned mortal of envy, are not my goddess. You stand shivering in green, and do not compare to the regal woman in red. Wretched goat next to a beautiful swan. You are not even worthy to breathe the same air as her, let alone wear her face. You. Filfthy, impostorous, envious, demon. Tell me where my queen is.

He said none of this though, his growl only becoming deeper the more it scuttled away, wide brown eyes not even daring to leave his.

Then, out of nowhere, he lunged.

"Tell me." He snarled, pinning her to the tiled floor. "Where is she?"

"Let me go!" It fought back, tears of panic dripping onto the floor. "I know nothing. _Io non so nulla_! _Io non so nulla!"_

It dared to even speak like her.

"Speak." He hissed out, baring his fangs at it and smirking as it squeaked and thrashed about with fear.

"Elijah!" Cami cried out, running towards them. "Elijah, let her go!"

"I don't remember." It continued to shout and sob, thrashing under his grip. "I know nothing. I dont remember anything!"

Mastering all the strength it had, the little imposter shoved Elijah of it. Staggering up and staring at its hands with a mixture of curiousity and fear.

Elegantly standing up as well, Elijah took a moment to actually look at the woman in front of him. She was standing on shaking legs, staring down at her hands and watching with morbid fascination as the small cuts from his nails on her arms knotted together within seconds. Leaving behind only perfectly smooth skin.

 _"What did you do to me, Elijah?" Elijah remembered Adriana screaming. "What, in the name of Jupiter, have you turned me into?"_

"What?" The imposter whispered softly, staring at her unblemished skin with something akin to fear. Slowly, her eyes turned to him, a frown set deep into her face. "What have you done to me?"

Oh, sweet Frey, it even sounded like her.

"What did you do to me?" She screamed at him, her trembling hands forming fists. "What have you turned me into?"

A sharp cry rang through the air, as if in response to her shout. The imposter turned her head and, as if in a trance, followed the sound to the living room where Ulrik sat sobbing in the chair Adriana had sat in less than an hour prior. Following the imposter closely with his eyes, Elijah immediately stepped in front of her and picked up Ulrik before she could even touch him.

"Don't touch him." Elijah growled down at it, the imposter stumbling back in fear while Cami still watched them in shock.

"He was crying." It snapped back in defence, once it saw to putting a safe distance between them. "How can you expect me to ignore that?"

"He is my son." Elijah only stated coldly, rocking Ulrik in his arms while staring down the copy.

"Give me the baby." She growled out lowly, her eyes widening and her hands flying to her mouth once she realised what she had said.

Elijah's eyes narrowed further, examining the woman in front of him carefully, walking forward and grasping her chin so he could search her eyes. Search for a sign that this was his wife.

 _Adriana's eyes, had always had a sharp edge to them. An edge that no one could copy, though that didn't stop many imposters from trying._

 _He knew the edge that lurked in the very depths, he knew Adriana like her knew his own face._

 _It became more apparent the more she shouted and screamed, like a sword becoming sharper with her words._

 _"I hate you!" She screamed at him, the sword pointing right at him as he held her against the wall, her dead lover a few feet away from them._

 _He wasn't worthy, none of her little escapades were. The only person worthy of worshiping the goddess of red was himself. He bathed her in the colour, praised her with mistresses he knew she would kill if he pushed her far enough. He didn't love any of those women, they were only sacrifices to his goddess. His beautiful goddess bathed in red. He slept with them to smile and have them killed by her deceivingly small hands._

 _Adriana, in all of her perfect glory, just didn't understand that._

 _"I hate you." She continued to sob, falling against his chest when his grip on her arms relaxed. "I hate you. I hate you. I hate you."_

 _"Yes. Hate me." Elijah could only nod and mumble into her hair as she continued to cry. "Hate me and stay with me."_

Looking into her eyes, her found it, blunt and rusting but that edge was still prominent in her brown eyes.

This, despite his prior refusal, was Adriana. His beautiful goddess of red.

"What are you going to do to me?" She whispered up to him, fear making her accent thicker then usual.

No. No. No. No. Don't fear me. Hate me, deteste me, despise me, love me, but please, don't fear me.

"Here you go." Elijah muttered softly, passing her Ulrik. The little boy squealing in delight as he was put in his mothers arms, clapping his hands together and grinning. Completely oblivious to her current lack of memory.

"Hello." Adriana smiled awkwardly at the child, her eyes softening as he clapped and giggled at her, the brown teddy squashed between them. "Is this your friend?"

Ulrik giggled and nodded happily, squishing the teddy into his body with a broad grin.

Once the child was distracted, Adriana turned to look at him with a confused look.

"Are you bipolar or something?" She blurted out, blinking in surprise when he only chuckled at her. Cautiously stepping back, she stared at him warily, probably expecting him to suddenly pounce at her like he did a few moments ago.

"My apologies, Adriana." Elijah chuckled lowly, his eyes narrowing slightly as she stepped further away from him. "I thought you were an imposter."

"What are you?" Adriana hissed at him, whirling around to face Cami with wide eyes. "What the hell is he? Oh _Dio_ , are you it too? Have you kidnapped me? What the hell is going on? Why can't I remember anything?"

"That last one I would like to know as well, wife." He stated, Adriana whirling around to face him once more more, looking as if she was about to collapse with this new information.

"Wife?" She asked shrilly, her high voice making Cami flinch from behind her. "You? I married you of all people?" She surveyed him up and down, glancing at Ulrik and then glancing at him. "Are my standards actually that low?"

The smirk set on Elijah's face immediately fell.

Oh, my little goddess of red. No man deserves you, but I keep you to myself all the same.

"No offense to other me or you." Adriana immediately defended, seeing his shift in expression. "But, for the few minutes I've known you, Elijah was it? Anyway, for the few minutes I've known you, you've attacked me, drawn blood from me, and you've passed me a baby. Overall, really, you're attitude to me is absolutely horrible."

Okay, so maybe he hadn't made the best first impression.

Putting Ulrik down, Adriana collapsed next to the baby boy. Holding her head in her hands and groaning lowly.

Placing a hand to his head, Elijah felt a wave of weakness coming over him, the world starting to spin before his eyes. In the corner of his eye, he could see Adriana roll to the floor when he too hit the ground.

Snapping his eyes open, Elijah looked around to see he and Adriana were in a corner of an old fashioned wooden shed, various heads of animals were mounted on the walls. Adriana stood beside him, narrowing her eyes at something else in the room.

"You know what?" She asked throwing her hands in the air and stepping slightly away from him. "I'm done. It's official. I've gone absolutely crazy and you are all some figment of my twisted imagination. Okay, well done, show me the cameras, the white walls and pills. I've accepted insanity."

"Niklaus." Elijah greeted, nodding to his brother from across the room. Adriana letting out a small shriek of confusion next to him.

"You three." Kol groaned out from where he stood in another corner. "Adriana, please tell me that Demetri has given you some sort of message. He's disappeared."

Staring at him blankly, Adriana blinked several times. Elijah only sighing and preparing himself for the high shriek that left her lips.

"Who the hell is Demetri?" Adriana shrieked. "Better yet, who the hell are you?"

"You've got to be kidding me?" Klaus muttered under his breath, eyeing Adriana before turning to Elijah. "She's lost her memory. What kind of vampire looses their memory?"

"What kind of name is Niklaus?" Adriana mocked, crossing her arms and glaring back at him. Realisation lighting up her eyes a few seconds later. "I'm a vampire? Do I kill people? Or is it like Twilight?"

"You know what Twilight is, but you don't know that your a vampire?" Kol openly laughed at her from his corner.

"You're enjoying this way too much." Adriana stated flatly, staring back at him.

 _"_ What is this?" Klaus asked, gesturing around them.

"It's a _chambre de chasse_." Kol explained looking around them, Elijah grabbing Adriana's hand when she started to wander around, giving her a look that told her to stay put. Adrian raising her hands in surrender. "A hunt room. It's where witches bring their prey for mental target practice. Our bodies are in the real world, laying dead on the floor, whilst our minds are in here, represented by these creepy animal heads."

"Magic exists now." Adriana muttered to herself. "Okay. Okay... I'm cool with that. This is perfectly normal."

"Let me take a wild guess as to who is the author of this nightmare." Klaus growled out unimpressed, raising his voice to a shout. "Finn! Show yourself."

Finn enterered the shack through the front door, walking to stand in the last corner of the room.

"Save your strength." Finn stated calmly, Elijah stepping slightly in front of Adriana. "In here, I am untouchable. My magic, my rules. So, make yourselves at home. We're gonna be here for a while. At the very least, this prison is a bit more comfortable than the _box_ you held me in for... Almost nine hundred years?"

"Okay." Adriana kept on muttering from behind Elijah. "Over nine hundred year old vampires, that's cool. This is fine. I'm fine."

"The heads are a nice touch." Klaus commented, gesturing to the walls. "Let me guess, I'm the big, bad wolf? Kol, the wily fox. Elijah is the noble stag, Adriana the elegant swan, and _you_ , fittingly enough, are the _boar!_ Bit obvious, as far as symbolism goes..." Trailing off, her turned his attention to Finn once more, sighing in annoyance. "Why are we here? Don't tell me, it's about Mother? I didn't force her to drink blood and betray everything she holds dear. That was her choice."

"This isn't about Mother, this is about _you."_ Finn contradicted. "I want you to know how it feels to be powerless. So, I'm going to take the thing that matters most to you, the city you've come to love _so_ much."

"Are we quite done here?" Elijah spoke up, rolling his eyes. "You will release us _now,_ and you will tell me what you did to my wife."

"I didn't do anything to her." Finn shrugged, glancing at a wide eyed Adriana next to him. "She did that to herself. As for releasing you, I will! _After_ sundown. Because _at_ sundown, when the marchers of Carillon Eve take to the streets, my barrier spell drops. Marcel and his hungry vampires will be unleashed to kill their way through the Quarter! I imagine that, after their atrocities, the supernatural community of New Orleans will be forced to find another place to call home."

"Alright, I'm drawing a line here." Adriana hissed out, stepping past Elijah and pointing a shaking finger at Finn. "You. You know what happened to me. I can see it in your eyes. Tell me, what caused me to forget everything, what was so bad that my mind couldn't cope remembering any of it?"

"You tell me, little caged swan." Finn smirked down at her, Elijah crossing his arms and frowning from where he stood behind her. "Tell me, what's it like being trapped inside your own head?"

"Adriana." Elijah called out quietly, grabbing her hand and dragging her backwards as tears of panic filled her eyes.

"Look, I don't _care_ about the city." Kol spoke up, stepping forward as Adriana stepped back. "What I _care_ about is that my very human body is laying at the feet of some very hungry vampires. Your fight is with them, it's not with me."

"All you care about is your own fragile mortality." Finn stated coldly, staring back at Kol. "But, what if you were made vulnerable? What then?"

With a flick of his wrist, Kol's nose started to bleed, Adriana's hands flying to her mouth as she watched in horror.

"Okay." Kol nodded, wiping his lip in annoyance. "Point made. Now, nobody loves a joke like old fox-boy here, but if you could just get me back to my body-"

"I must confess, I rather enjoy watching you twist in the wind." Elijah nodded, pulling out a janketchief and handing it to his brother. "Not unlike the way you left Rebekah, I imagine."

"Yes!" Finn chortled with glee, Adriana stepping slightly closer to him when he dramatically pointed at them. "What _did_ you do to Rebekah?"

"For goodness sake, she crossed me, so I crossed her back!" Kol exclaimed. "Look, if you could just get me back to my body, I will tell anybody anything that they need to know."

"How narrow-minded of me." Finn laughed coldly. "Rebekah. You don't know where she is, and the only thing standing between you and our sister is this selfish fool. Maybe it's time for you to go enjoy the rest of your mortal life while you still can."

Making a fist with his hand, Elijah watched in confusion as Kol disappeared, glancing down at a startled Adriana before turning back to his brother.

"So, what shall we talk about while we wait for nightfall?" Finn asked, gasping mockingly. "Oh! I know! Let's talk about our parents."

" _Sei matto."_ Adriana whispered under her breath, before repeating the phrase in English. "You're crazy."

"You know, I figured you wouldn't be kind to Mother, but imagine my surprise to learn that Mikael met the same fate." Klaus smiled fakely. "Bravo, brother."

"You see, the parent I was interested in talking about was _your_ father." Finn explained. "Your real one? I mean, you _longed_ to know him your whole life, yet at the first opportunity, you murdered him! Why, I wonder?"

Adriana let out a choked gasp at the news, staring at all three brothers with wide eyes. Elijah could only look down at her sadly, knowing that while nine hundred year old Adriana would take this news without a blink of an eye. The new Adriana, reborn and starting afresh with everything, only knew what she was seeing before her eyes.

If he was grateful for that or not, Elijah did not know.

Oh, my little goddess of red, you have turned into a goddess of white. Unstained with blood and standing on shaking legs, like a new born deer taking its first steps.

"Possibly the same reason you took out Esther." Klaus said, approaching Finn. "Severing parental ties has a way of freeing one up to recognize one's true potential."

"Quite." Finn nodded. "But, Esther was no fool. She pinpointed your wants, and knowing your true father was at the top of the list! No, something else occupies the top of your list of affections. And it's not your favorite city. Because I'm about to take that from you, using your own vampires, and I barely get a rise out of you! I thought _maybe_ it was Rebekah, but you remain calm, even when the _one_ who knows her fate probably just met his."

"I am fighting the _monumental_ urge to mount your severed head upon one of these walls..." Elijah sighed in boredom, Adriana's eyes snapping to his face. "Please stop this petty squabbling, you're scaring Adriana."

"And _then_ , I thought it was your favorite brother, but Mother _broke_ him into a thousand pieces, and rather than fix him, you left him to fend for himself God knows where." Finn continued, ignoring Elijah. "You know, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were hiding something from me. Something big. Something _dark._ Maybe your real father found out what it was, and you _had_ to kill him?"

"You want to know why I killed my father?" Klaus asked.

"Yeah."

"Because when blood relations let me down, I don't stop to reason with them- I _remove_ them."

"So, the secret is there is no secret? You long for nothing, care for no one?" Finn asked sceptically, shaking his head. "The problem is, brother, I don't believe you. It's _clear_ to me that you're hiding something. And, as I control your presence here, we've got all the time in the world to figure out just what that might be."

"It's a shame, really, for you to lose New Orleans." Finn stated, Adriana shifting uncomfortably in her own chair next to Elijah. "You've worked so hard to make this city a home. On the other hand, this city hasn't given you much in the way of good fortune. You have Marcel's betrayal, Father's attack, the loss of your child..."

"It is a delicate craft." Elijah spoke up moving to stand behind Adriana's chair. "Representational magic? One must be ever so precise. If you misrepresent us, the very enchantment that this room was built upon would collapse, would it not?"

"I assure you, you have _not_ been misrepresented."

"Well, that depends upon how well the hunter knows his prey." Elijah waved off, Adriana turning around in her chair to watch him. "This façade, this illusion that I have created over the course of my life- the noble stag. It is nothing more than a deception. To myself. To everyone. Except to my wife." He scoffed at this, glancing down st Adriana with unreadable eyes. "Yes, Adriana was always an exception. If I were a truly noble brother, I would not withheld from you a _vile_ deed. One that I, like a coward, allowed Mother to erase from my memory. It was I who killed Tatia."

Adriana blinked in confusion as the room seemed to shift out of focus for a second.

"The act may be reprehensible, but your admitting to it proves you to be the man I thought you to be." Finn said as the room reclaimed its clarity. "My magic stands!"

"Maybe not." Adriana spoke up, standing up from her chair and looking at her own interpretation. Her head held high as the façade of confidence washed over her features. The white swan staring back at her. "I don't know who this woman everyone talks about is, I don't know whether she was elegant or not." The room shifted out of focus once more. "I don't know whether she was kind, or cruel. Who she was, or what made her tick. What made her laugh, what made her cry. I don't know, because right now, right in this very moment. I'm not her. I don't know who she is, who she loves, or even who she hates. But I can tell you one thing." The room was spinning now, but Adriana held her ground. "Your interpretation of her is wrong- because who you remember and who I am are now are two different people. I don't know you, and you know _nothing_ of me."

As the dreamscape shattered around them, Elijah smirked.

That, right there in that moment, was why he loved his wife.

Opening his eyes, Elijah turned to meet the wide brown eyes of Adriana.

Little goddess of white, not even on this cursed plane for a few hours and you have already began to stain a beautiful shade of red once more.


	28. I Know You

**I Know You**

* * *

 **In which Adriana has a lot of questions and not so many answers**

* * *

Adriana, if that even was her real name, didn't know what a person was meant to do in a situation like this.

Shouldn't she be at a hospital? Hospitals existed, didn't they? She was almost certain they did. Positive. Hospitals existed, and in that moment she was sure she should be in one. She had no memory, people with no memory were usually taken to hospitals.

Her memory was blank, she knew general things. Like what a hospital was, how to add, and how to speak English when her primary language was Italian. She knew it like she had practiced and repeated it to herself for years on end, she knew how to add what a phone and a door was. She knew those things. She had no explanation on why she knew them, she just did.

It was a personal information she drew a blank on, like her name, who she was related to. Her birthday, what her favourite and least favourite food was. Who she loved, who she disliked. It wasn't there anymore, her brain was wiped clean of any information that was important to her. How old was she? What was her favourite colour? Was it cats or dogs?

How could she know what a cat or dog was, and not be certain on her own name?

"Adriana?" A deep voice asked, making her head lift up from staring st her uncut skin. "Do you want to talk about it?"

And she wasn't even going to start on this whole _vampire_ thing?

If she hadn't seen her own skin knit in front of her in seconds, she would question the sanity of this houses occupants. Why hadn't she run for the hills? If she was any lesser of a person, then she would be sat here sobbing and screaming.

She should be in a hospital. Why wasn't she in a hospital?

"Who am I?" She managed to say, looking up from her hands and staring into the brown eyes of the male across from here.

Oh, _what_ was his name?

Ellis? Edward... What was it?

"Adriana Angelo Mafiay-Mikaelson." Elijah (she was sure it was Elijah) said. "You're a mother, and my wife. A vampire, you feed off blood to survive."

"Let me guess, supercharged healing in one of the perks of immortal life." Adriana muttered under her breath, wrapping her skinny arms around her stomach and staring out a nearby window. "Nice to know. How old am I? Actually."

"Just over nine hundred." Elijah stated, leaning back in his chair and staring back at her.

She sighed heavily, ripping her eyes away from his and staring holes into the presumably extremely expensive carpet.

Magic existed too, that dreamscape had made her head ring and left a bad feeling in her mouth. This was too much, how could a sane person deal with this?

Who were you Adriana? And how intact with your sanity were you?

"I'm going to bed." She eventually spoke up, the tense silence around them too thick to bear any longer. "Goodnight, Elijah."

"Goodnight, Adriana."

There was a pause before both of their names, both of them hesitance to call each other by name in a situation such as this.

Adriana didn't know what scared her more, the situation, or him.

When she slept, she dreamt of two women that looked exactly like her. One with long hair, the other with the exact same hairstyle as her, both staring her down disapprovingly.

"So." The one that looked exactly like her drawled out, her red painted lips pursed into a thin line as she stared her down. She was the epitome of power, strong and raw, not afraid to cut you up into little pieces and serve you to your family. Adriana shrank away from her slightly, staring down at the tall heels the woman was wearing. "You're my replacement."

"What?" Adriana blinked dumbly, stepping back away from the two as Exact rolled her eyes while the one with long brown hair huffed.

"We've stooped so low." Other, Adriana had decided the long haired one was other while the short haired one was Exact, moaned. Other seemed to be the epitome of deadly elegance, from the way she held herself to the way she spoke. Her ancient dress brushed against the non existent floor while her head was held high as she stared down at her in disgust. "Look at us, we are pathetic. Two amazing women trapped in the mind of this- this idiot! Even you were better than her Mafiay, and I don't even like you!"

"We finally agree on something. What a monumental occasion." Exact nodded, starting to pick at her nails while her cold eyes scanned Adriana up and down. "I wanted to get away from Elijah but this is just on a whole other level. This is just embarrassing."

"Wait." Adriana stated, raising her hands up and shaking her head. "So if you're Adriana Mafiay, then who are you?" With this she pointed at Other, the long haired copy only scoffing loudly in reply. "And you both just happen to be trapped in the my head? No. No way. I've had enough craziness today to fill a lifetime- I don't need my own head to turn against me."

"You'll get used to it." Exact shrugged, seemingly bored with the ordeal already. "Now, if you'll gladly give me my body back-"

"Oh, no way." Other cut in stepping in front of Exact. "You've had your turn, I need that body. He is out there, I need to find him."

Adriana felt a strong pressure fall upon her head, making her body slump forward as her vision blurred.

"Don't even think about it." Exact snarled, the pressure in her head decreasing as Other held her full attention on Exact. "Elijah will kill you and your husband in a second- the minute you reunite. I have to find Demetri, the man has stupidly run off to Esther, I just know it."

"Too bad." Other snapped, Adriana just watching them both warily. "I need my husband, we made a deal. You don't know what the hell its like to be in love Adriana Mafiay! I do. You don't deserve that body. I do. You don't have any emotions, you've never loved anybody like I love my husband. Everyone just uses you as a means to an end, you will just waste our body. No one loves you!"

Exact stared at Other, her parted lips the only sign of her surprise.

Adriana stood up from her slouched position, backing away from the two like they were dangerous animals.

 _No one loves you._

Thinking back to the way Elijah looked at her, Adriana felt sick to her stomach. He looked at her like she was his greatest creation, a wayward idea turned extraordinary. He looked at her like she wasn't a person, more like she was a tool, a _means to an end._

Oh Dio.

She couldn't stay in that house.

Raising her hand to her head, she could see Others eyes widen as they both slowly turned towards her. Exacts mouth forming words to snap back at Other, before the landscape of white collapsed around them. Shattering into a million shards.

Adriana woke up with a start before Exact could open her mouth to retort. Quickly glancing at the glowing clack beside her, Adriana leapt out of the bed and scrambled to pull the suitcase out from beneath the bed frame. Shrugging off her lace nightdress and throwing it into the suitcase first, pulling on a white blouse and black skinny jeans. Throwing a black jacket with a hood over her blouse. About to reach for her phone, she decided against it. Phones could be tracked and monitored, and she didn't want that.

She wouldn't stay here, she couldn't, she would never stay with someone that didn't view her like an actual person. She shoved several articles of clothing into the suitcase, managing to dig out her purse and several wads of bills out of a box in the corner of her wardrobe. Shoving that too into her suitcase that lay open on her large bed.

She wouldn't make the same mistake the last Adriana did. She didn't know what pulled her to stay, but she didn't feel it. She was a scared, lonely girl that had been pulled into the very middle of the chaos and wanted no part in it. She didn't know Elijah, or Demetri. Ulrik. Davina. Hope. Camille. All were foreign names to her. She wanted no part in this madness, they were obviously all crazy. Vampires, magic, it didn't exist. It was impossible. Illogical. She had to get of there, she had to. They were all crazy.

She'd been kidnapped by some crazy couple that had caused her amnesia and then tried to convince her she was a nine century year old vampire. That explained why she wasn't in a hospital. The healing cuts were just some sort of illusion, a trick of light with mirrors. She had to get out of here, take anything she could. She could sell some of the stuff to get by. Take a train or hit hike into another city, buy a dirt cheap apartment and start from there. She could do that, this could work.

Breathing heavily, she ran into her joint bathroom grabbing everything and slamming it into a smaller bag, doing the same with any jewellery she could find.

Slamming the suitcase shut and quickly zipping it up with a speed that made her blink in surprise. Adriana glanced at the door nervously, half suspecting one of them to be stood by the door with a knife dripping with the fresh blood of virgins. No one was there, she was safe to leave.

Gently opening the window across from her, climbing out with her suitcase and shakily balancing on the ledge, Adriana took in a deep breath and dropped the suitcase in the bushes below her. It landed safely on the brambles.

Inside the house, Adriana could hear a light flicker on, footsteps climbing out of bed. She had to act quickly, they must have became suspicious. Under her foot, part of the ledge bent dangerously, causing her to grasp onto wall behind her with a muffled whimper.

The footsteps were coming closer, a door opening in the distance, as floorboards in the hall cranked.

She had to go. Now.

Taking in a deep breath, Adriana jumped off the ledge.

She fell into the bush with a large crash, the early morning rising sun making her squint slightly and moan in pain. She hadn't broken any bones, she was lucky. Grabbing her suitcase from next to her, she scrambled out of the bush, looking up to see the light in the hallway turn on. There was no time to relax, she had to run.

Adriana immediately took off across the lawn. Dragging her suitcase into the street and heading towards what looked like a bustling crowd, slipping into the street and turning into a side alley to lean against a wall, collapsing against it and staring down at the heels she had to pull on her feet. They were the smallest size she could find, and even then they had to be more than four inches. Not exactly the best to be running in.

She had no choice, they would have noticed she was gone, she had to keep going.

Following the alley into another main walk way, Adriana slowed down slightly, pulling up the hood of her jacket up to avoid anyone recognising her. It was still early morning, and the streets were slightly sparse with the exception of coffee high business men and sleep deprived teenagers with coffees glued into their hands while they hurriedly typed into their phone.

Adriana didn't remember a time when she was like that.

Did she have a major? What was her dream job? She couldn't be older than twenty three- she had a lifetime ahead of her. But instead she had to deal with impromptu memory loss and crazy, kidnapping cult members.

And people complained about the 'quarter life crisis'.

She didn't know how long she had been walking, carefully ducking into a small cafe off of the high street, she glanced st the clock and saw that three hours had gone by since she had jumped off the ledge.

She didn't even feel tired.

Odd.

It must have been the adrenaline.

Shaking her head, Adriana dug into the pocket of her jacket and paid for a coffee and some French toast. Taking the tray and sitting down on a wobbling chair and wooden table, calmly taking a sip of her coffee and staring out of the window onto the calming street of New Orleans.

It was odd. Too feel so connected and yet so out of place all at once.

Was her name even Adriana? Or was it something different? Like Sygrid?

She paused for a second, the mug halfway to her lips, a small frown on her face.

Sygrid. No, that wasn't her name, it was someone else's. Who did it belong too? Sygrid. Sygrid? Who? Who did it belong to? Sygrid was the name of her-

As quickly as the train of thought appeared, it vanished. Disappeared before she fully knew who Sygrid was. Pulled from the forefront of her mind and dragged by some unknown force into the darkest pits of her brain. As if someone else dragged and ancient power back to their rightful place in her brain.

Adriana remembered Other and Exact, a shudder running down her spine.

Shaking her head at the ridiculousness of it all, she took another sip of her coffee.

Should she go to the police? No. Too much trouble for what it was worth. They could drag her back to that crazy couple or throw her in a mental asylum when she recounted her story.

She'd find a train station and take the next train out of the city until she saw herself a safe distance away, that should do it. She'd try and find out who she was and work her way up from there. She could get through this madness. She was certain.

Sighing softly, Adriana set down her mug and took a bite out of her French toast, chewing leisurely while she stared out the window.

"Adriana?" The strong male voice made her choke on her French toast, breathing heavily until she managed to swallow it, the women in question looked up.

The man before her had golden blonde hair, sun kissed skin and forest green eyes. His hands were shoved into his denim jeans while he took the seat across from her.

She hadn't met him before, but he knew her name. She didn't recognise him at all.

"What's with that look, dark angel?" Blondie chuckled, casually leaning back on his seat. "You get taken away by that vampire hubby of yours and suddenly you look at me like you've never seen me before in your life. What's with that?"

There it was again, that word: _vampire._

He was apart of that cult too.

Oh Dio, they'd found her. She had to leave, she had to escape.

Grabbing her suitcase up from next to her, she quickly stood up, grabbed a piece a French toast to keep her going, and tried to run past him.

She was unsuccessful.

He grabbed her arm and pushed her back into the rickety seat, the elderly woman at the counter glancing up at them before turning back to her newest customer.

"Alright, what the hell is going on Adri?" Blondie almost seemed to growl.

She stared right back at him, keeping her mouth shut.

"It's almost as if you don't-" He paused mid sentence, leaning closer to her. "Unbelievable. Come on, angel. You remember me, Demetri? Ring any bells up there."

Silence.

Nothing.

His look of intruige slowly formed into a smirk. A glazed look entering his forest green eyes as he thought over the possibilities of this new development. He looked at her like that Elijah had looked at her. Like a weapon, she wasn't a person too them, just a weapon. A means to the end.

She hated it, Adriana decided. She _hated_ that look.

Hated.

Hated.

 _Hated._

She wouldn't let him use her. She wouldn't let anyone use her.

"Look Adri, you need to come with me." Demetris voice had taken on an edge of urgency. "We have to leave and you can't trust Elijah and any of those Mikaelsons. Just come with me, and we'll get through this together. Just you and me. You trusted me before, please just try and do it again."

"No." Even she was surprised with how strong her voice came out.

"Adriana, please. You need me-"

"No. No I don't." Adriana denied, standing up and ripping her hands from his grip. "I don't need you to use me for your own personal gain. Not now. I am a different person to the woman you knew. I don't need you, I don't need anyone. Not you, Elijah, Ulrik, Kol, Klaus, Finn, Camille or Hope. I do not need you, or them. I don't need anyone. I don't know you, and you don't know me."

Taking in a deep breath, her hand shot out to grab her suitcase, running past a shocked Demetri and back into the street. Her coffee and French toast turning cold from where she stood a second prior. Quickly, Demetri stood up and ran after her. Dodging past people and shouting her name as her suitcase and heels bounced over cobblestones.

"Adriana." Demetri called out, catching up to her and grabbing her arm. "Adriana, you need to listed. You-"

"I don't need you!" She spat in his face, fighting his death like grip on her arm. "Let me go. Let me go! Let go of me! Help! Help!"

A few people stopped to stare at them, whispering to their companions and glancing back at them as they walked by.

"Adriana, you're causing a scene." Demetri hissed, Adriana flinching when the grip on her arm tightened. "Will you just shut up and listen to-"

"Hey." A deep voice called out, hands reaching out and forcefully separating Demetri from Adriana. "The lady asked for you to let her go."

The male was taller than Demetri, easily surpassing six feet. He had curly, dark brown hair and eyes that seemed to be made of the sharpest points of ice. His skin tone was similar to Adriana's, a pale tan that seemed to resemble caramel at times. He was slightly leaner than Demetri, but his eyes spoke of a hidden strength. Her savior appeared to be the same age as Adriana herself, maybe a year or two older.

His face was slightly turned away from her, his ice blue eyes staring down at Demetri.

"This is none of your business." Demetri said through gritted teeth.

"It is when your hurting a lady." The man scoffed, his accent holding foreign aspects. Norwegian? Maybe, Adriana didn't know for certain. "Scram _boy_ , before I get the police on your tail."

Weighing his options, Demetri finally huffed and turned around on his heel. Deciding the prize wasn't worth the fight.

Adriana, trying to ignore how small and insignificant she felt next to her giant savior, was grateful.

As he turned around, Adriana took note of the Celtic ruin that was tattooed onto his left shoulder. The tip of it peeking through his black shirt. Paint was splattered onto his jeans, and on the back of his hands.

He reminded her of someone, she just couldn't place who.

"Hey, lady." The male said, bending down to reach her height. "You okay?"

I know you.

The phrase played through her mind like a broken record. I know you. I know you. _I know you._

 _How do I know you?_

"Hey, lady." Ice blue eyes regarded her slowly. "Do I know you? You seem familiar."

Yes. Adriana almost wanted to scream. I know you.

 _I know you._


	29. Until That Very Moment

**AN: Hi! Well, this chapter gets pretty dark near the end, just a pre-warning. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Until That Very Moment**

* * *

 **In which Other was right (much to Exact's distaste)**

* * *

Adriana sat in the corner of a penthouse, her suitcase leaning against the leather chair she was tightly curled up in. A dull throbbing still lingered in her head, probably from when she hit it on those bricks.

"Here you go." Her ice-eyed saviour murmured, gently handing her the warm mug he held in his hands. Calmly sitting down in the fabric chair across from her, casually leaning forward and resting his forearms on his legs. His dark brown hair almost seeming black in the low laying light. "You sure you don't want me to notify the police? You have a right to press charges against him."

"I'm fine." She insisted, raising the mug with shaking fingers. "I'm sorry if I scared you with that collapsing episode back there. How long was I out?"

"Just a few hours, it's fine." Her ice-eyed saviour, Loki her brain reminded her, waved off. Leaning back in his chair and casually staring back at her, his tan arms crossed. "Amnesia, huh. Tough luck for you. Anywhere I can take you?"

Adriana's eyes widened, her memory flashing to the man named Elijah. His dark hair, to the large house and numerous pictures. She remembered how he looked at her, that terrible, terrible look.

Her hands unconsciously tightened around her coffee mug.

"No." She said stiffly, trying to relax her shoulders. "Nowhere."

Loki only hummed lowly, regarding her calmly, his head slightly tilted to the side in thought.

"I still can't figure out where we know each other from." He muttered, sighing and brushing a single hand through his hair. Sinking even lower into his seat. "Do you know?"

If possible, her hands tightened even more around her mug.

"No." She bit put, frustration coating her voice. "I don't."

"You're not very talkative, are ya." Loki commenting, taking a sip of his own coffee. "I'll go first then. My name is Loki Johansen, I have two little sisters, I'm the eldest child and I work in New Orleans as an architect and a part time painter even though I'm originally from Norway. Your turn."

"My name is, apparently, Adriana Angelo Mafiay." Adriana answered, clearing her throat. "From what I can tell, I might be originally from Italy and I have a degree in Law. That's it."

Loki nodded slowly, glancing at the large clock above the fireplace and then back at her.

"I'll take you to the hospital in about thirty minutes." He stated, putting down his mug and standing up from the chair. "There's a guest room just down the hall if you want to lay down for a few minutes."

Adriana nodded in agreement, putting d own her own mug and walking in the direction he had pointed.

When Adriana slept, she was sat on a chair with a pot light shining down at her.

Pitch black surrounded her, the only visible part of the room was the wooden floorboards and chair that were under the spotlight with her. Before her, two other spotlights turned on, revealing the two women from the other dream. Exact and Other.

Oh, the _joy._

"Feisty ladies and amnesiac girls." Other proclaimed, a large grin on her face. "Welcome to the theatre."

All the lights flickered on then, revealing that they were on a large stage in front of millions of empty seats. Craning her neck back, Adriana could see even more empty chairs up high on the balcony further back.

"I don't like it." Exact commented, tilting her head to the side. "It's... tacky."

Other scoffed at this, rolling her eyes dramatically before crossing her legs and folding her arms. Deep brown eyes turning to Adriana.

"Surprise, surprise." Other continued, a lazy smirk falling on her face before her gaze turned to Exact. "Mafiay, it appears even without my help, I've gotten what I wanted."

"Oh, shut up." Exact snarled, a heavy Italian accent leaking through. "You have no control over the body."

"Who says I don't?" Other countered, her smirk slowly widening. Exact's eyes widened, her mouth falling open slightly in shock.

"You can't." Exact pressed, Adriana only sitting ther in confusion as an unspoken statement passed between them. "We'll die!"

"Maybe its about time we did." Other shrugged, blatantly ignoring Exacts temper. "We've been around long enough, we've seen enough."

"No." Exact argued. "We have a family. We have people that need a protection, we can't just abandon them."

"What, like they abandoned us?" Other stated flatly, the short question making Exacts mouth snap shut quickly.

Adriana watched the exchange silently, the pounding in her head slowly getting bigger.

"Do you feel it?" Exact suddenly spoke up, her brown eyes focused on Adriana as she slowly prowled towards her. "The gnawing feeling of hunger that's slowly taking over your being? The itch in your gums that doesn't go away? Do you feel it? The feeling of your body beginning to deteriorate?" She stopped right in front of her, bending down so they were eye to eye. "Do you feel your hands twitch, and yours eyes unconsciously being drawn to a persons pulse point?"

Adrianas hands tightened into fists, her eyes widening as Exact described the feeling she had in the back of her mind since she had woken up yesterday.

"What's happening to me?" Adriana asked, her voice hushed and nervous. Her eyes twitched to Other, the long haired female only sighing lowly and putting her head in her hands.

Exact stood up, a dull look of sadness filling her sharp brown eyes as she stared down at her.

"We're beginning to starve." Exact murmured, Adriana having to strain to hear her. "You should have never ran from Elijah."

Adriana shot up, gasping heavily, looking around the small guest room with shaking breaths. Closing her eyes and inhaling deeply, Adriana tried to block out the pestering feeling Exact had been describing. Carefully peeling back the covers, Adriana glanced around her, her bare feet padding ont the carpet as she moved to open the door, only to stop when two voices hit her ears.

"Look, Davina and Kol was it?" Loki's deep voice hit her ears, making her subconsciously open the door a crack to hear better. "I'll tell you like I've told you for the last five minutes. Yes, I brought her back here, how you know that I don't even want to know. I offered to drive her to the hospital but she refused, I walked her to the door probably, I don't know, ten minutes ago and watched her walk away. Now, if you'd please get out of my house."

"Can you please at least tell us if she comes back here Tayte? Your the last person to have seen her." A female voice asked carefully.

Adriana let a hand fly to her mouth as she tried to muffle a gasp. Her eyes widening as she pressed herself tightly against the door, her body tensing.

Somewhere deep in the back of her mind, she could hear Other laughing coldly.

"Why are you so bothered?" Tayte asked, a rustled sounding. "Are you her sister or something? Which doesn't make sense because Adriana's from Italy while you're obviously from around the quarter."

"Their half-sisters." A male voice spoke up, quick to jump to the defence of his partner. "Different fathers."

"Right." Tayte drawled out calmly. "I've got Marcels number, I'm one of the people who organised that grand gallery opening for him about a year back now, I'll call him if I see her again. Though I severely doubt it. Now; goodbye!"

The small bang of the door closing hurriedly, made Adriana cautiously fully step out of the guest room. Walking down the hall and stepping into the large room, Adriana stared back at Tayte with wide eyes.

"Have they gone?" She whispered, her body tense and ready to bolt at any moment.

At Tayte's nod, Adriana relaxed, breathing heavily and closing her eyes.

"Your name isn't Loki, is it?" Adriana asked quietly, ice blue eyes staring back at her with a ferocity that didn't waver. "It's Tayte."

"And yours is Adriana." Tayte replied calmly, pushing himself off of the door. "I lied because I didn't trust you. There's your explanation."

Adriana nodded in understanding, trying desperately to drag her eyes away from his pulse point.

The hunger that lurked in the dark corners of her mind snarled angrily and grew. Something pulsed under her gums, and throbbed at the corners of her eyes.

"Care to tell me what all that was about?" Tayte asked, rubbing his forehead like a headache was beginning to form.

"I don't know." Adriana muttered quietly, looking down at the oak floorboards beneath her bare feet. "Thank you for making them leave."

"I figured you were running away from blonde for a reason." Tayte shrugged, stepping forward only to stumble slightly. "Ugh, stupid headache. I think I'm allergic to you."

Adriana only laughed under her breath.

"Give me one second." Tayte murmured pressing a hand against his forehead while leaning on the large table next to him. "Then I'll drive you to the hospital."

She nodded, watching him closely as he breathed in heavily. Straightening up, Tayte's slightly glazed over blue eyes connected with her warm brown ones.

Then, he started to fall backwards.

Shooting forward, Adriana's arms shot out to catch him, the woman flinching slightly as his back hit the floor with a frightening _thud_.

"Tayte." She cried out, shaking him lightly, leaning forward to examine him closely. "Tayte, can you hear me?"

Her eyes widened as a sweet smell filled her nose, causing her to shoot away from him like her carried some sort of disease. A low thudding filled her ears, almost like a heartbeat. A buzz ran across her gums, the feeling of two needles pushing down making her squirm uncomfortably and squeeze her jaw shut tighter.

She ate a couple of hours ago, didn't she? She felt like she hadn't eaten in _days._

 _We're beginning to starve._ Exacts statement ran through her brain like a broken record. _You should have never ran from Elijah._

 _Beginning to starve._

 _Starve. Elijah._

It wasn't true, it was just a psychological effect on her brain. Vampires weren't real.

Breathing heavily, Adriana nervously took a step closer to Tayte, her head pounding nervously as she reached out. Somewhere in the back of her brain, and she reached out and took his hand, she remembered where she had heard the name Tayte before.

And, right there with the kaleidoscopic of memories, Other laughed.

 _"You know what Tayte Kajinson, you can rot in the lowest pits of Niflheim." Adriana snarled harshly, bending down to pick up the discarded firewood with a deep frown._

 _"So it was you." Tayte continued to press, following after her when she started to walk away. "My, my my, the innocent Adriana. Rebelling against her parents and learning magic in secret. The shock. The terror."_

 _"Oh, go bother someone else." Adriana snapped, the fourteen year old girl glaring darkly at the fifteen year old boy. "I have better things to do than pay attention to you."_

 _"And yet you do anyway." Tayte continued to pester, a large grin on his face. "I'm flattered."_

 _Her only response was to huff and walk even faster._

 _"Aw, come on witchling." Tayte laughed, running after her. "I'm complimenting you. There is no need to get so defensive. Not even engaged and your already acting like a scorned wife."_

 _She turned to him, her eyes wide in shock. "I do not act like a scorned wife!"_

 _"But you do!" Tayte said, howling with laughter at her expression. "Oh, your face was too funny!"_

 _Scowling darkly at his current state, Adriana grabbed ahold of the largest log in the pile and roughly connected it with Taytes head._

 _Thwack._

 _"Woman!" Tayte yelped, jumping away from her and massaging his already red forehead. "What in Odins name was that for? Learn to take a joke!"_

 _"I'll learn to take a joke when you learn to close your fat mouth!" Adriana yelled back at him, the two of them exploding into another one of their bi-weekly arguments._

 _Around two weeks later, they would learn that their parents had engaged them._

Adriana sat back away from a Tayte as the male shot up, coughing and swearing profusely in both English and Norwegian.

"Hey, Tayte. Are you okay?" Adriana asked, ignoring the incessant hunger in her stomach and pressure on her head. "Do you want a drink? Water?"

Cold ice blue eyes turned to her slowly, and Adriana froze, feeling as if her own would had been ripped away from the drivers seat and someone else had taken the wheel, even though she could still see everything happening in front of her.

For a single moment, for a few short seconds, after over a thousand years, the original Tayte and Adriana stared at each other.

And then, it was gone.

"Won't you let him through?"

Adriana blinked away unshed tears, though she couldn't control her own hands and eyes anymore. She was staring up at Tayte with wide brown eyes, silently condemning him for his stubborn defiance of her wishes.

It was Other, she would recognise the sharp edged tone and accent that was currently leaving her mouth anywhere.

When she spoke next, it was Other's spitefully twisted words that left her mouth. She had lost control of her own body, and could only sit back and watch the ordeal in terror.

"You will die." Other snarled slowly, staring up at the shell that encased her husband. "And in those final moments, those very last breaths; he shall take advantage of your weakness."

"Let him." Tayte snarled back, doing a complete one hundred and eighty from his earlier attitude, trying to fight back the ancient spirit inside of him. His ice eyes daringly staring down Other. "But until that very moment, until those very final breaths, I shall be the only commander of this body. Unlike you, you fighting your own body to do what you want."

She stared back at him, Other hesitantly receding her hold on her body and back to the depths of her mind when she knew she wasn't going to win this fight.

But, Adriana knew with a cold certainty, that Other was going to win this war.

Adriana and Tayte were left staring at each other, Adriana feeling a single tear drop down her face.

"Please." Adriana begged, her voice barely above a whisper, confusion and terror gripping onto her heart with this new revelation. "Please, I don't know what's going on, and I won't pretend I do. But I know you. I know you, and not Demetri or Elijah, Davina or Kol. They are strangers while on some subconscious level; I know you. Please, I am begging you, I'll do anything, just let me stay here. I don't want to go back, I'm scared and I don't know them like I know you."

Tayte sighed, running a hand through his oak brown hair while ice blue eyes glanced nervously from her to the door leading out of his penthouse.

"Fine." He eventually stated, his hand falling limply to his side. "You can stay. But the minute, the very second, you get caught by those people, I'm throwing you under the bus. Ancient crazy spirits or not. I don't know what's going on in this city, and I'd rather not find out."

For the first time since she'd woken up with no memories, Adriana smiled brightly.

Stepping away from him when the scent began to overpower her once more, Adriana helped Tayte to his feet, turning on her heel Adriana returned to the guest room. The day having long drained into night.

When she slept, Adriana was back in the theatre Other had introduced her and Exact too. The sound of sobbing slowly filling her ears as she sat up.

Exact sat curled up a couple of feet across from her, her sobs and sniffles filling the large theatre.

"I'm so hungry." Exact was whispering, tremors violently controlling her body. "I tried to warn you, but Other wouldn't let me. I haven't fed in _weeks. Weeks!_ I'm so hungry. So, so, so hungry..."

Her voice quickly turning shrill, Adriana stepped back, Exact continuing to sob in front of her.

"Exact, where's Other?" Adriana asked nervously.

Looking up at her, Exact spoke through a dry throat.

"Hanging from the rafters." Exact croaked out, her eyes flickering to something behind Adriana, the pupils gently following the swaying movement. Adriana felt sick just watching her morbid fascination with the movement. "I'm so hungry."

Closing her eyes tightly, and not even daring to turn around Adriana started whispering to herself.

"It's all in my head." She whispered. "It's not real. It's just in your head. I just have to focus and then I'll wake up. It's not hard."

"Stop kidding yourself." Exact spoke up, her sobs slowly turning into whimpers. "I'm so hungry. Others gone, Other has given you her memories and now she's gone. It's your fault! You won't accept us. It's your fault we're starving! It's all your fault!"

"You're not Adriana Mafiay." Adriana whispered in realisation. "You're just a part of the soul I've shut off, you both were."

"Well done." Exact laughed coldly, her thin face staring up at the ceiling. "There's only ever one Adriana Mafiay, and right now; Adriana Mafiay is you. I guess I can tell you the truth now. Other was a coping mechanism manifested out of the memories of the Original Adriana. Me? I'm basically your instincts, and I'm so _hungry_. Time to accept yourself little Adri. Because we're both starving to death here, literally."

"Where's my memories?" Adriana pressed. "I need them! Where are they?"

"I'd tell you if I knew." Exact snapped back, her voice becoming even weaker. "Nothing, and no one here is as they seem. Wake up little dove, its feeding time. It's him or you dove, time to choose!"

Adriana woke up in her bed, a deep snarl escaping her lips, the throbbing in her eyes and gums becoming too much to bear. As if in a trance, she left the room. Tears slowly filling her eyes as her feet dragged her forward without her permission, turning her into the large main room where Tayte sat by the roaring fireplace.

He smelt so good. He smelt delicious.

He smelt delicious, and she was starving.

She had to do this, it wasn't her fault. It was Exact's fault, she was the one to blame for what would happen.

It wasn't her fault he smelt so delicious.

"Adri?" He asked turning towards her. "Are you okay? You seem deathly pale."

A low thudding ran through her eyes, her canines slicing down to become larger and much sharper. The veins in the corner of her eyes started to throb, a dark film entering her vision.

"Tayte, I'm so sorry."

"Adriana? What's going-"

Before he could even finish his sentence, Adriana flew forward and latched onto his neck.


	30. Promises To Keep

**AN: Hello! Just a little warning, this chapter is pretty dark and thought provoking. With references both from earlier in this book and from 'The Assistant'. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Promises To Keep**

* * *

 **In which a Adriana realises some things are best left forgotten**

* * *

Adriana stared down at her bloody hands, sobbing hareshly. Her form slightly slumped over Tayte's unconscious body, blood mixed tears dripping onto his torn and bloody body. Adriana focused on the tiny rise and fall of his chest, the only sign he was still alive.

"I'm so sorry." She apologised to the weak body, trying desperately to put pressure on the large chunk in his neck that was missing. "It wasn't my fault. I didn't mean to. I was just so hungry."

He said nothing, increasing her sobbing tenfold as she collapsed onto his chest. His face was almost deathly pale, the bloodloss slowly killing him off. All Adriana could do was watch, heavily sobbing into his black shirt.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered, the sound muffled by the shirt. " _Mi dispiace..._ I'm a monster, I didn't mean to do this. I'm a terrible person, I just take, and take and I never considered you. I'm so sorry. _Mi dispiace._ I'm sorry, Tayte."

A low groan filled the air, making a soft smile appear on Adriana's face. He was alive, just barely clinging on, but he was still alive.

It was something.

In the midst of the blood and chaos, it was something.

"I'm going to help you." Adriana whispered, raising her head and gently letting her hand trail down his blood marked face. "Why? Because, once upon a time, a woman named Adriana married you. She hated you, but she hated everyone. It was a long time ago, when this was the New World and magic was considered a common and respectful practice. In a world where everything was new and exciting. And there were no such thing as blood sucking creatures of the night. I'm going to help you because you are the only person I have left from that time."

The sound of slow clapping filled her ears, making her head snap up from Tayte's face and her eyes moving to find the source of the sound.

She was back in the theatre, a grey corpse of someone that slightly resembled Exact lay rotting a few feet away from them. Her sickeningly thin limbs were a horrible shade of grey, pitch black veins protruding from paper skin. Her limbs were spread out in such a way that Adriana, with some morbid fascination, could akin to her to a broken, fallen angel. Climbing to her feet, Adriana turned around to see Other's feet hanging daintily in the middle of her eye line. The same crimson liquid that stained her hands dripped freshly down Other's arms and slowly formed a puddle on the oak stage below her feet. Her neck twisted at odd angle, her whole body held there by a battered piece of old rope.

Adriana felt sick to her stomach just stood there, surrounded by death and blood.

Turning back around to focus on Tayte once more, Adriana gasped in shock when only thin air lay at her bare feet. The light, blood stained oak floorboards staring back at her mockingly.

"Come on. Come on. Come on." Adriana whispered to herself hurriedly. "This is just a hallucination, you just have to see through it. It's simple. Easy. You have to help Tayte."

"What are you doing?" A high pitched, familiar voice spoke up, making Adriana's brown eyes drift to the many seats beyond the stage. "You look ridiculous."

Sitting there calmly, watching her patiently with a slightly tilted face, sat her identical copy. Much like Other and Exact, but there corpses lay with her on the stage, like they were part of some grotesque theatrical performance. This was someone new. A new character to enter the stage. She sat on the front row, at the very centre, watching the events play out like they were her own personal entertainment. She sat with her legs folded into the red velvet of the chair. Unlike her, this Adriana was dressed in a flowing white dress, a flower crown made of roses, bluebells, and clovers sat upon her head. Her feet were bare, much like Adriana's own, and her tanned toes were in the very edge of the seat. She was childlike, yet seemed to be full of wisdom. There was a great sadness in the depths of her brown eyes, the mere look digging into Adriana's heart.

Other, Exact... She would name this one Copy.

Seriously. How many more of these women were there?

"I don't have time for this right now." Adriana snapped at her, a startled scream escaping her lips when the Copy suddenly left her chair within the audience and aruptedly appeared right in front of her. With speed like lightning, Copy grabbed tightly onto her wrist, tightening her vice grip on her when Adriana tried to pull away. The key word being _tried._ "Hey. Let me go. He's going to die! Tayte is going to die."

"Don't erase me." The carbon copy begged, her voice soft and cautious. It reminded Adriana of a small child, nervously begging for its parents to stay with it. "You asked for me. You begged for me to return. So I came." She stopped for a second, before tears started to fill her large, doll like, eyes. "Do you not want me anymore?"

Gathering up her strength, Adriana ripped her wrist away from Copy, holding it to her chest. Stumbling a few steps away from the other woman.

"Who are you?" She asked, hesitantly taking a small step closer to her.

Copy began to reach out, but stopped suddenly when her hand was only a few centimetres away from Adriana's face. Appearing to have changed her mind about touching her while her hand was only a few centimetres away. The thin, spider like digits stilling in the air.

"Can you remember who you were, before the world told you who you should be?" Copy asked quietly in response, slowly retracting her hand back to her side. Staring back at her sadly. "For that is what I am."

"Stop speaking in riddles." Adriana hissed, already tired of the other woman's game. "Let me leave. Let me save Tayte."

"No. I can't." The mirror image replied, shaking her head furiously. Several petals from her flower crown coming off and falling to the floor, decorating the already blood stained oak. "You don't understand yet."

"Understand what?"

"Why you can't remember... It's been four days, you're supposed to understand." Adriana stared back at her, hesitance clear in her eyes as Copy continued, her voice getting louder as her fury builder. "You don't get it, you still want your memories back. You begged for them, you begged for _me._ Don't you understand? You're being _selfish!"_

 _"_ How am I being selfish for wanting back what's rightly mine?" Adriana asked, stepping back slightly as Copy's eyes seemed to darken a few shades. "Tayte is dying!"

Copy stared at her, her brown eyes filled with fury and sadness. Adriana stared back, her identical eyes filled with confusion and rage.

"Your past lives husband can wait, your current lives one is closing in." Copy snarled, her small hand latching onto Adriana's wrist. "You are being ignorant and selfish. You should have never ran from Elijah. It wasn't in the plan. You and your selfishness almost killed us all."

"What _plan_?" Adriana asked, her voice turning shrill with confusion.

At the question, Copy huffed and held out a note that she seemed to have obtained from thin air. The thin, folded, white slip of paper hanging daintily from her small fingers. Reaching out, Adriana snatched the paper from her, quickly opening the paper but being careful not to rip the sides.

 ** _Dear Adriana,_**

The letters on the paper were cursive. Bold, big, and slanted on the paper. Adriana recognised it instantly, it was her own handwriting.

 ** _It's odd, writing to your future self. I don't have much time left, I will not let Other take over my body. No matter what she may say; I am not stupid. My patience is wearing thin, and so is my sanity._**

 ** _It's a protection method, I learnt about it in my Psychology course. In the case of a heavily traumatic event, the brain wipes itself clean of any personal memories in order to start over fresh. A little witches spell, and a couple of herbs digested, and the you get where you are now._**

 ** _Other does not have control of my body, and on my watch she never will._**

 ** _Stay with Elijah. You'll starve without him._** ** _But, knowing me, I've already ran and it's too late to try and stop myself from attacking someone out of hunger._**

 ** _I apologise. I did it to try and make a better life for us- but it appears that the Gods deem it not meant to be. I thought, without my memories, I could start over with Elijah and Ulrik. I thought that, just maybe, I could make a better life for myself._**

 ** _If this (if this letter reaches you too late) has caused you pain, then I apologise._**

 ** _I do wonder though, where you will take this information. I am not strong, I try my hardest to be but that doesn't mean that I am. I have tried. I have given chance, after chance to, not only Elijah, but many others as well. Most of the time, I still go back to square one._**

 ** _But that's not us anymore, is it?_**

 ** _Your name is Adriana Mafiay, and whatever happens, no one can take that away from you._**

 ** _From, Adriana M. (Your past self)._**

Letting the slip of paper fall from her hands, Adriana's eyes raised to meet Copy's. Her mirror images eyes had mellowed out dramatically, the fury almost muted by her sadness.

"Why are you sad?" Adriana asked hesistantly, watching her carefully.

"It's easy, faking a smile on the outside." Copy shrugged, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "I once tried faking a smile on the inside too; it didn't get the same results." Copy sighed heavily, her thin fingers interlocking with their identical pair on the other hand. "I wonder how pleasant it would be, if we just stood here and slowly grew mad like this."

"It would be boring." Adriana said, her head tilted to the side. "What would we do all day?"

"It would be peaceful." Copy disagreed, her voice soft and far away. As if it were lost in a daydream. "No worries. Only the comforting silence." Copy stared at Adriana, and Adriana could only stare back.

"Is there any way I could get my memories back?" She asked, Copy's eyes shifting to the floor.

"Don't erase me, I'm not that strong." Copy only mumbled, avoiding the question.

"Copy." Adriana pressed, the mirror image flinching slightly.

"Are you sure you want this?" Copy only asked, still staring at the floor. "Tayte may die, but you just have to learn to hunt all over again. There's a reason the other Adriana was willing to erase her own memories. Everyone has another side of them they don't want others to see."

"Copy. Please. I need to save Tayte. Once upon a time, he was my husband. I can't just abandon him."

"You abandoned Elijah, and he is your husband." Copy pointed out, glancing down at Adriana's flat look. Lifting her shaking hands, Copy took off the flower crown, staring at the roses, bluebells and clovers for a few seconds before placing the crown on Adriana's head. The flowers falling on the floor and into Adriana's hair and eyes.

"Your name is Adriana Mafiay." Copy said softly, reaching out once more and taking Adriana's tan hand in her own. "And _no one_ , no prince, no peasent, no king or God, no queen, no lord, no lady, no witch, werewolf or vampire, can ever, _ever_ take that away from you."

With a sad smile on her face, Copy pushed Adriana back.

"Goodbye, Adriana Mafiay." Copy muttered, a twisted smirk on her face. "I hope you don't regret your decision."

 _She was underwater. That was the first thing Adriana noticed. Underwater, and fighting desperately for breath._

 _She quickly pushed herself to the top, finding the tiniest gap of space between the top of the barrel and the water. She had to uncomfortably crane her neck backwards so her pale, almost blue, lips were above the water. Gasping for breath, she closed her eye tightly, a small sob escaping her._

 _Suddenly, the barrel fell forward, causing all the water inside to splash onto the floor. Adriana choking and coughing as she rolled onto the dirty, but reasonably dry floor of the kitchen. A fat hand reached out to her, grabbing her tiny body and dragging it up mercilessly._

 _"Ragazza!" An angry voice shouted out, the fat hand on Adriana's soaked through dress. "Stop that this instance."_

 _"Sì Signore." Adriana croaked out, the modern Adriana finding that she couldn't control her own tongue, her face pale and her hair dripping into her eyes. "Mi dispiace, Signore."_

 _"Bueno." The voice huffed out, not sounding at all pleased. "Your punishment is over. Get yourself presentable and attend to the guests."_

 _The man threw her to the floor, her head ringing as it banged roughly against the stone wall. Adriana staggered to her feet, curtsying shakily and scampering out of the kitchen. Running through the winding corridors and into her room, breathing the fresh air in heavily._

 _On the way their, Adriana saw her won reflection in the mirror. Staring back at her, was the washed out, shaking but very much alive, seven year old Adriana Mafiay._

 _She blinked, and the scene changed before her eyes._

 _"Dark angel." A low voice hummed into her ear, the hands of her lover slowly trailing down her whole body. "My sweet dark angel. Be with me forever..."_

 _She turned around, and with the orange rays of the early morning sun streaming through the curtains of her bed, Adriana could see Demetri. His chest bare and his hands rubbing patterns into her bare shoulders._

 _She wants to scream, to shout at him to get away from her. But these were memories, and she was not in control._

 _"Of course." She smiled, so sweet and naive._

 _Blink. The scene changed once more._

 _It was raining, the Gods were crying._

 _Adriana could feel the knife on her womb, threatening to rip the tiny life away from her._

 _"Please." She begs Demetri, tears steaming down her face as she fought back. "Please! Not my child... not my baby!"_

 _He leaves, threatening her within an inch of her life and leaves her in the rain. Uncaring. He leaves, but not before hacking her innocence, trust and love into little pieces and throwing it back at her._

 _Blink._

 _"Your name is Cienna Picollo Mafiay." She whispers softly to the whimpering baby in her arms. "And no one, no warrior, no peasant, no prince, no king, no God, no lord or witch can ever take that away from you."_

 _Blink._

 _"No! My baby! Please, give me back my baby!"_

 _Blink._

 _"Whore!"_

 _"Scarlet woman!"_

 _"Traitor!"_

 _Adriana Mafiay is known as many things, but only one of them is her name._

 _Another scene appears with a blink._

 _"My name is Adriana Mafiay, my lord." She smiled kindly at the man infront of her, dropping into a small curtesy._

 _"Greetings, Adriana. My name is Elijah." The man replied, pressing a small kiss on her hand._

 _Blink._

 _"Oh, little warrior, how much you have grown." She could feel it, the life slowly draining from her very being."I love you, if all else fails, remember that..."_

 _"Gypsy girl? Adriana? Adriana!"_

 _Blink._

 _"What did you do to me?" She screamed, her voice growing hoarse with the excessive use. "What did you do to me Elijah?!"_

 _Blink._

 _"Marry me?" Elijah asks, offering her a simple golden band and the promise of eternity._

 _"Yes." She grins, her face almost splitting in two with the smile. "Yes. Yes. Yes!"_

 _She learns later, so much later, that she has no idea what she's invoking just with those small words._

 _Blink._

 _She is thrown into a wall, her skull splitting open at the impact, glass shattering against her body. The red liquid dripping down her face while the deep cut healed over._

 _She laughs, her head thrown back as the bitter sound escaped her lips._

 _"That's your reply." She asked an equally bloody Elijah, leisurely sticking her tongue out and licking away her own blood. "So after everything, after all those promises of eternity. Of an unbreakable love, this is how we turn out. Split apart by some doppelgänger slut... I see how it is."_

 _"You won't leave." Elijah said, his voice almost sounding like a purr as he poured himself a drink. The three deep gashes she clawed into his face only just beginning to knit over. "You can't."_

 _Her hands curled into fist, because she knows he's right._

 _Snarling lowly, she left the room with the whoosh of her many skirts. Strutting down the stone hallway with her many scars feigning to fade beck into her skin._

 _Right in that very moment, Adriana decided that she hated Katerina Petrova._

 _Blink._

 _"Go choke on an apple." Adriana snarled at Stefan Salvatore behind the bars that kept her there. "I'm not telling you anything."_

 _He only smirked down at her coldly, making her sneer deepen._

 _Blink._

 _"Who are you? And why do you look like me?"_

 _Even after nine hundred years, Adriana still loved her daughter._

 _Blink._

 _"You've ripped out my heart, Elijah." Adriana continued softly, placing a hand on his chest, right above his own heart. "Do you know what that felt like?"_

 _With those words, she plunged her hand into his chest, wrapping her fingers around his heart and tugging it out. The beating muscle resting in her palm is he sagged forward._

 _Letting the still beating muscle slip from her fingers and land on the floor, Adriana stared at it for several seconds, before mercilessly driving her heel into the offending thing. Watching with satisfaction as it finally stopped beating. Pulling her heel out of the muscle with a smirk._

 _Turning to Elijah, she watched his unconscious body for several seconds._

 _"It felt a bit like that."_

 _Blink._

 _Adriana stared at Demetri out of the corner of her eye, her fist tightening minutely as he continued to speak._

 _She know now, exactly who Elijah had reminded her of. They both had the ability to make empty, sugary sweet promises._

 _Blink._

 _"My baby boy." Adriana giggled with Ulrik, bouncing him up and down softly. "My, beautiful, beautiful little warrior. My beautiful baby boy. Oh, how I love you..."_

 _Blink._

 _"What's happening to us?" Other screeched._

 _"I'll tell you when I know." Adriana lied, trying to hide her smirk._

 _Blink._

 _"I'm sorry. But who are you?"_

Gasping awake, Adriana shot up with her eyes filled with tears. Her entire life, all nine hundred years of it still flashing before her eyes as she brought her wrist towards her pointed fangs, slicing it open and shoving the bleeding appendage into a fading Tayte's mouth.

"Drink." She whispered to him softly, running her bloody fingers through his dark hair, tears still running down her face. "Drink and you will live..." Once she was sure at least a few drops had made it down his throat, her hand lashed out, gripping onto his spinal cord and pulling back suddenly. The bone breaking easily between her thin fingers. "There we go. It's all better now."

Her small hand slowly stroked through,his dark hair, his head positioned gently on her lap.

"It's all better now." She repeated, a gentle smile forming on her face. "I remember now. It's going to be okay, you're going to be alright. I promise you." Resting her forehead on his, Adriana closed her eyes, a deep sigh of relief escaping her. "It's alright now."

Adriana smiled to herself, though the pain from the fresh memories stayed with her. The fights, the blood, the chaos, the screaming. It was so new and yet the scars and the wounds had long since healed over.

She would stay. She would and could stay in this position forever, but, eventually, Tayte would wake up and she would have a new vampire on her hands.

She would not leave this room the same person as she entered it, neither would she leave this city the same person.

She was not them. The naive devotion of Other. The scorned bitterness of Exact. Or even the broken hope that was Copy. She was Adriana, and she was doing it her way this time.

When your a Mafiay, your a Mafiay, and no one holds the cards except from you. No man can control you, and no dazzling prince can deceive you. You are a Mafiay, and you hold all the cards.

Besides, this time she had promises to keep.


	31. One More Reason

**AN: *smiles sheepishly* I'm so sorry that I confused everybody, that really wasn't my intention! Some of you might want to skip this AN if you can make heads and tails out of last chapter. The rest of you? Hi!**

 **To the questions;**

 ** _Is she a doppelgänger?_ Please go back and read the chapter 'Ghost', you'll find your answer in Elijah's big confession speech near the end.**

 ** _How many past lives did she have?_ Who knows! Only the other Adriana and her husband Tayte matter in this fic in terms of past lives though. None of the others (if there are any) matter.**

 ** _Why the mental split?_ It was roughly hinted at with Adriana's letter last chapter, and briefly explained in this one. Basically, Adriana wanted Ulrik to have the best life possible, and the night Elijah slept with Hayley- she knew with her current state he was never going to get that. Adriana underestimated her own mentality though- hence Copy's statement of 'she ruined the plan'. This caused Adriana's head to turn in on itself and hence Other, Copy and Exact.**

 ** _What's happening next? What about Ulrik?_ For all of those who liked Adriana as she was- have no fear! She's back to her snarky, tough self this chapter, and Gods is she angry and wants her baby back.**

 **If anyone else has any other questions or _constructive_ criticism please PM me, and I'll answers them the best I can. *bows dramatically* Enjoy!**

* * *

 **One More Reason**

* * *

 **In which dramatic entrances are always better**

* * *

There are many ways scorned women walk into their partners house and claim their possessions.

Some walk in feebly, their heads hung low, their steps small, and their every word hesitant. Tears trailing down their face as they pack their possessions with shaking hands and a heavy heart.

Others, prefer to make an entrance no one would forget.

Personally, Adriana preferred the latter option.

The sound of Adriana's arrival was punctuated by the sound of the front door being kicked off its hinges. Effectively snapping Elijah out of his brief hallucination of red. Hope whimpered, while Ulrik giggled. Cami, beautifully human Camille, cried out in fear.

"Did anyone miss me?" Adriana asked calmly, walking over the blown off door like it was nothing. Tilting her head at the four, Adriana scoffed at their shocked expressions. "What'd I miss?"

Casually licking the fresh blood off of her fingers, Adriana Mafiay strutted into the Mikaelson safe house.

Her tall, black stilettos clicked with her every move. Narrowed brown eyes surveying the four, blood stained lips lifting up into a slight smirk.

"Hey." She waved casually, sticking both of her hands into the back pockets of her black jeans. "You might want to close your mouths, who knows what will fly in."

"Where the hell have you been?" Elijah growled, standing up and walking towards her. Standing chest to chest with her and snarling down at her. "You loose your memories, run away, and then suddenly turn up after being gone for days now? Where have you been Adriana?"

Adriana didn't look up at him, a small hum escaping her lips.

"Ulrik." Adriana grinned happily, her eyes falling on the child as she took a step closer to the giggling and clapping baby boy. "My beautiful baby boy, did you miss me?" Her arms reached out to embrace the grinning child, only to have Elijah shove her back, causing her to step away from her son. The bright smile instantly falling from her face.

"Adriana." Elijah snapped. "Answer me."

Slowly, Adriana turned to him, a dark look entering her eyes while a frown painted itself on her lips. She stared back at him for a few seconds, before she sighed calmly and ran a hand through her short hair.

"I really didn't want to do this." She muttered to herself, groaning loudly and tilting her head to stare at the ceiling. "Oh well... There goes the easy plan."

Adriana's arm snapped out, using her strength to push Elijah down the hallway and crashing into a nearby wall. Her husband collided into the brick wall with a sickening thud. The bricks cracking slightly and breaking away with the impact.

"Whoops." Adriana laughed to herself, letting her arm drop back to her side. Surveying Elijah's growling form with an amused smirk. "Was I not meant to do that?"

"Cami." Elijah growled out, standing up and turning to the blonde human. "Take Hope and Ulrik out of the house."

"Oh. I'm in trouble now." Adriana snickered, watching Camille carry Ulrik and Hope out of the house with narrowed eyes before turning back to Elijah. Listening as Cami took them both a few feet away from the house.

It was cute that Elijah though that was going to stop her from taking Ulrik away from him.

It was also extremely naive of him.

Elijah lunged at her grabbing onto her arms and throwing her to the floor. Adriana rolling out of the way as he brought his foot down, trying to break her neck and render her unconscious. Kicking up, Adriana landed gently on her heels, twirling out of the way, just missing Elijahs punch. Kicking up her leg to round house kick him, Adriana snarled in frustration when Elijah caught her foot. The Original successfully making her collapse to the floor once more. Raising her hand to scratch at his face, Adriana growled when her small wrist was caught in Elijah's large hand. Growling back at her, Elijah managed to drag her up by her neck, throwing her into a wall just like she did to him. Adriana's cuts almost instantly healing over as she staggered to her feet, glaring at the male in front of her.

He's holding back. She realised, disappearing from her position and speeding to the other side of the room to stand behind Elijah. He doesn't want to kill me, just render me unconscious.

Thankfully, she wasn't that pathetic.

Aiming a punch for the back of his head, Adriana stumbled when Elijah easily sidestepped her. The male grabbing onto her arm and twisting her around so she stood pressed tightly against his chest.

"How about you calm down for a minute Adriana?" Elijah murmured to her soothingly, causing the female to dramatically roll her eyes at him. "And then we can talk like mature adults?"

"How about; no?" She mocked, slamming her heeled foot onto his knees and twisting her body in a way that made him fall to the floor.

Stepping back, Adriana watched carefully as Elijah got to his feet. Her brown eyes watching his every move in case he lunged at her once more.

Elijah, however, didn't look as if he wanted to fight anymore. He looked tired. If that was even possible for a thousand year old vampire. He looked tired, Adriana could see it in his eyes. His eyes held exhaustion, fear, and sadness.

Adriana didn't feel these things as she stared at him, she felt nothing except from the boiling rage that ran through her veins.

"Why?" Was all Elijah asked, staring back at her sadly. "Why do this?"

There was silence for a few moments, the short calm before the storm.

"Why?" Adriana laughed bitterly, playing with the daylight ring on her finger while she talked. "Why? Why? _Why?_ You know _little warrior_ , I've asked myself that question for a long time. Why stay with you? Why put myself through your torment? Why chain myself to you? Why go around in circles when the result is the same every single time? Why? Why? Why? _Why?_ I'll tell you why Elijah!" Her voice rose a few levels, stepping back when Elijah took a step forward. "Because I _loved_ you! I loved you, and you took my heart, my love and my endless forgiveness and _spat_ in my face." She took a deep breath in, calming down and staring back at him. "Give me one more reason. One. Only one reason. One more reason to stay with you. Give me one more reason to fight. Because, this time, I'm walking away."

Elijah was silent, a single tear running down his face as he stared back at her.

"You haven't got any, have you? Not even one." Adriana whispered, a soft sob escaping her lips. "I loved you! You want to know why I forgot? Fine! I made myself forget because the regret of everything I did weighed upon me. With Ulrik, I thought that if I forgot then I wouldn't have to pass my baggage onto him. I tried to make it better for him. For all of us. I thought that I could start over. I thought, as I walked through the hallway the night you slept with Hayley, that I could make things better for myself. That I could wipe my memories and I wouldn't have to deal with that feeling of betrayal _ever_ again. That fear, that feeling of not being good enough, the cold bed, the tears. I thought that I wouldn't have to feel it ever again! But you know what I did? Trying to make a better life for us, for Ulrik? I split my head into three!"

Adriana growled lowly, stepping forward as Elijah continued to stare at her, tears running down his face.

"Other." Adriana screamed into his face, remembering each personality as she shouted out their names. "The personification of my past lives memories. The personification of my love and duty to my family. Other was the Adriana _you_ killed but then mercilessly dragged her back to Earth. Exact. The personification of my instincts. The personification of the facade I have put for years. Exact was the woman I sold to other people, the strong female that they gladly accepted while _our_ marriage was tearing me apart! And, finally, Copy. The personification of _my_ memories. The personification of every hurtful word, event and insult that passed between us. Copy was the Adriana _you_ dragged to the edge, and the Adriana _you_ pushed off the edge."

Adriana stood toe to toe with Elijah, screaming in his face and tears dripping of the edge of her lashes while he stared back at her, his eyes red with his own tears.

"One more reason." Adriana begged, resting her hand on his cheek. "Just one."

"Adriana. Gypsy girl." Elijah whispered. "I'm so sorry... I love you. Sit down, drop the facade, and then we can go home. Please, Adriana. We can go home..."

"I loved you." She repeated, stepping away from him with a short, bitter laugh. Glancing back up with a cold sneer. "Past tense, _little warrior._ "

With alarming speed, her hand shot out and slammed into his chest shoving him across the room and causing him to crash to the floor.

"Are you done here? The whole speech was great and all, very dramatic, very thought provoking, but it's only a matter of time before the blonde chick wakes up from nap time." Another male voice spoke up, Adriana elegantly turning around with a large smile to see Tayte standing in the gap where the door used to be with a sleeping Ulrik in his arms. A cunning smile spread across his face as he saw a broken down Elijah on the floor, flashing his newly acquired, and still blood stained fangs to the Original.

"Adriana." Elijah begged, staring up at his wife pleadingly. "Don't do this. This isn't you."

"Oh." Adriana shrugged, moving to stand next to Tayte with a small smirk on her face. "But I _have,_ and I _did._ Bye-bye now."

With a short laugh, Adriana, Tayte and Ulrik disappeared within a blink of an eye.

Adriana laughed, clapping her hands together as Tayte rolled his eyes from where he sat at his desk, a cup of blood in the glass next to him. Ulrik stared up at his mother, blue eyes wide with wonder as he gurgled the word again.

"Maa- Maa!" The boy gurgled, giggling with Adriana.

"Yes." Adriana cooed, a large smile on her face. "I'm Mama. Well done, _Soldatino_. My clever baby boy. Tayte. Tayte, isn't he clever?'

Tayte glanced up from his blueprints and shook his head, sighing gently.

"Yeah, I get beaten up by for denying vampires existence, and, quite reasonably, having trauma from the whole event. But you giggle and clap your hands at one little toddler. If I knew that was all it took for you to mellow out, then I would've got the child for you long ago. I would have gotten you three." Tayte muttered, typing something else into his computer as he talked.

"I kicked you and broke your neck several times, I didn't beat you up." Adriana corrected, bouncing Ulrik up and down. "There's a difference."

Tayte's reply was to roll his eyes and mutter something in Norwegian. Most likely several swear words directed at her by the tone of his voice.

"Are you hungry baby boy?" Adriana giggled to Ulrik, standing up with the boy as his stomach rumbled. "What did Elijah feed you while I was gone?"

"The tears of his enemies no doubt." Tayte stated bluntly, not looking up from his screen. "Or maybe their blood, it's a toss up really."

"Tayte." Adriana smiled, turning back to him as she moved to close the door behind her. "Do the world a favour and shut up."

The shutting of his office door cut off whatever he was going to say.

Humming slightly, Adriana busied herself around the kitchen, glancing at Ulrik in his high chair every few seconds. Reaching into the warm pot of water, she brought out the bottle of baby formula. Pushing herself to sit on the breakfast bar, Adriana uncapped the bottle and tested the liquid on the back of her hand. Nodding in approval, Adriana rested the bottle on the counter and moved to pick up Ulrik. Her son gladly accepting the bottle she offered.

Rocking him back and forth with her free hand, Adriana aruptedly stopped in her humming her eyes drifting to the door of Tayte's penthouse with narrowed eyes.

Right on cue, the large oak door crashed open, Adriana ducking out of the way just as an athame flew past her and embedded itself into one of the wooden beams that ran up the penthouse. Holding Ulrik close to her, Adriana examined the knife carefully. Noting the cursed carved into the handle.

"Demetri." Adriana hissed, recognising the seal style anywhere. "You sneaky _bastardo_."

Obviously hearing the commotion, Tayte appeared next to her, snarling coldly at their intruder.

"Hey, Adri." Demetri smirked, stepping into the threshold with a smirk. "How are you?"

This paralleled too well with earlier in the day for Adriana's comfort.

"Tayte, take Ulrik and get out of here." Adriana commanded, her eyes not leaving Demetris smirking face. "Come back in a few hours."

"But-"

"Please." Adriana whispered, glancing away from Demetri to look at Tayte pleadingly. "This is something I need to do alone."

With a reluctant nod, Tayte took a whimpering Ulrik from her and disappeared from the penthouse.

"Cute." Demetri commented, twirling another athame in his hand.

"Always knew your bad guy turned good act was too good to be true." Adriana replied, the two beginning to circle each other. "You never did change. Why am I not surprised?"

"Neither did you." Demetri shrugged. "Your still that same pathetic little girl you were in that rose garden."

"You'll be surprised." Adriana growled. "Why now? Why strike now?"

"Finn has gone to face Elijah, I thought it was about time I buried my own demons. Once I'm done with you, maybe I'll go after Davina... Or is it Cienna? Who knows? I'm still deciding myself."

"Cute." Adriana sneered, mocking his previous statement. "Stay away from my children, both of them. Or, trust me, you don't want to know what I'd do to you. It involves stringing you and slowly sawing off something very precious to you, with a blunt knife off course."

"What's cute?" Demetri asked slowly, his brows furrowed together.

"That you think you can beat me. You are human after all, you stand no chance against someone like me."

With a sneer, Demetri lunged at her, Adriana using her superior speed to slip out of his grasp. Pulling his own athame out of the wooden beam it had landed in, Adriana turned around only to be tackled to the floor by Demetri, the male kicking the athame out of her reach the second it fell out of her grasp. Snarling, she scratched at his face, kicking him off her. Demetri jumped off her after one particularly strong kick to his ribs. Getting up, Adriana dodged the punch aimed for her face. Wrapping her arms around his outstretched fist, Adriana used it as a lever to twist up and kick his face. Successfully making Demetri fall into a nearby coffee table, the glass top smashing into pieces. Getting up, Demetris eyes fell on the discarded athame. Both of them lunged for it at the same time, only for Demetri to grab onto the silver handle first, kicking Adriana out of the way. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a metal ball, sneering at Adriana as he threw it at her. Trying, unsuccessfully, to dodge it, Adriana felt the disc hit her arm.

Hissing and jumping back from him, Adriana glanced down at her arm with a sneer, watching the skin blister and burn.

 _Vervain._

Clever.

Snarling at Demetri, Adriana successfully dodged the next vervain bomb thrown at her, suddenly disappearing from Demetris eyesight. Looking around, the blond haired male scowled in frustration, his eyes flickering to the wooden beams above him.

"Come on out, dark angel." Demetri called out, glancing around the room. "You can't hide forever."

"Boo." Adriana's voice spoke up behind him. Whirling around, Demetri felt Adriana's small hands come into contact with his chest, successfully knocking him across the room. The snap of his arm breaking as he landed on it making him wince in pain, Adriana's kick to his knees making him unable to get up. "You know, I'm getting really tired of pushing people places today. It's so repetitive."

She stepped over the fallen coffee, glass cracking under her feet, elegantly stepping to the side and catching the athame by the handle when he threw it at her, a last ditch effort to rid her from the earth once and for all. Twirling the ceremonial knife around her fingers, much like he had done when he first entered, Adriana smirked as Demetri began shuffling back with every precise step she took forward.

"You betrayed me, and our daughter, for Esther? For power? Or was it for immortality? You always were petty." She laughed dryly, shaking her head as his back hit the wall. "It's over Demetri. It was over nine hundred years ago. You're right, demons are getting buried today, and they're going to be my own demons. Not yours. Mine. Your reign is over, it's time this all ended. Once and for all."

"Come on, Adri." Demetri begged, his eyes widening when she hissed at him, trying to put up his act once more so her guard would lower for just a second. Unfortunately, Adriana wasn't going to fall for it this time. "We can work things out- just you and me."

"You know what, Demetri?" Adriana snarled, her hand lashing out as she dragged him up by his left ear, the male whimpering under her vice like grip. "I really, _really_ , don't like you."

With a twisted smile, she forced his head so he looked her straight in the eye. His green eyes wide and terrified, while her brown ones stayed calm. His dark green eyes dulled when she roughly shoved the athame into his heart, his body going limp in her hands as she dropped him to the floor. Watching in morbid satisfaction as he lay deathly still and the blood drained from his face.

"And this time, you can stay dead." She spat at his body.


	32. Birth Of A Revolution

**AN: Wow, I haven't updated in a while. Huh, sorry 'bout that. I managed to throw this chapter together as quickly as I could. Sorry if it sucks. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Birth Of A Revolution**

* * *

 **In which Adriana is the storm**

* * *

Adriana held a screaming Ulrik to her chest gently, rocking him back and forth while she stared at the bustling city beyond the window before her. Behind her, Tayte sat in his desk, his fingers rapidly tapping a rhythmic beat into the wood.

"He's not getting any sleep." Adriana murmured, breaking the comfortable silence between them.

"No surprise there." Tayte scoffed, not turning to face her. "It smells like death in this house. Death and betrayal. Not a good combination."

"I'm taking him for a walk." Adriana said bluntly, her eyes focusing on the dazzling lights beyond any human vision. "Being here isn't helping anyone."

"I'll go with you." Tayte mumbled, shaking his head and standing up from his chair. "I can't concentrate. Not in this house. Not now."

Nodding in understanding, Adriana glanced down at Ulrik once more, a deep sigh escaping her lips. Something dwelled in the corner of her brain. Death was ghosting around the streets on New Orleans, it's ice cold touch forever just out of her sight. Forever just out of her reach. Holding Ulrik closer to her, Adriana lightly kissed her sons temple. Closing her eyes and taking in a deep breath, Adriana hesitantly turned her head to stare back at Tayte, a mutual understanding passing between them. Tayte glancing down to look at the wooden floor, a deafening silence filing the room, even with Ulriks cries peircing the air.

Someone was going to die tonight.

And there would be nothing they could do to stop it.

Tayte sighed, shoving his hands in his black jean pockets as they strolled through the cobbled streets, his green jacket unzipped over a simple white shirt. Adriana glanced at him, knowing about the Celtic rune for internet forever stamped onto his left shoulder blade. Adrian was dressed in a simple green top and jeans, her long black trench coat buttoned up to the top. Her tall black heels clicked against the cobblestones as she pushed Ulrik along in his pushchair.

"What's got you so down?" Adriana asked gently, tugging up Ulriks blanket as they boy started to let his eyes drop close. A big yawn escaping his small mouth.

"Who knows." Tayte shrugged, a small smile pulling up at the corners of his lips. "Maybe it's the dawning realisation that I'm not gonna age from here. That, while the earth moves forward, I will stay stuck here, in one place. That I drain others of life to keep mine. Or maybe it's the fact that I'm a reincarnation of a dead Norwegian warrior. Who knows, Adri. Who, on this green and blue, spinning sphere, knows?"

Adriana blinked, her doe like eyes seeming to sparkle slightly in the overcast glow the streetlamps cast. They walked in silence for a moment, listening to the sounds of the parade happening a few streets away. Jazz music filling the Quarter for all to hear.

Hayley and Jackson.

Adriana didn't know whether she was offended or relieved at not being invited.

She was leaning more towards relieved.

"The only thing holding you back is yourself." She murmured to Tayte, slowing down her steps slightly as she walked. "You can't keep thinking like that Tayte. The only thing your doing is slowly tearing yourself apart, and that's not good for anyone. No matter what they are. You'll go insane thinking like that. The past is behind you, and the future doesn't exist, but you can live in now. You can't rewrite your past, but you can make yourself a new future."

"You sound like your speaking from experience." Tayte scoffed, running a hand through his hair, a small sneer on his face.

"Who says I'm not?"

Tayte laughed quietly in reply, glancing down at Ulrik, listening to the small breaths of air escaping the boy.

Adriana watched them both carefully, guarded and hesistant, until a small smile broke out onto her face.

"Mama?" Whirling around both Adriana and Tayte stared at a shocked Davina, Josh standing a few feet behind her. "Mama! Tayte? You told me you let her go."

"Ever heard of a lie?" Tayte growled slightly, upset by the sudden interruption of their peace. "Do you want to alert the whole Quarter while your at it?"

Behind her, Ulrik began to whimper. Suddenly awoken by the sharp noise.

"Everybody calm down." Adriana stated calmly, giving Tayte a sharp look as the male turned back to the pushchair. Softly cooeing at the baby inside. "Davina, my darling _bambino_ , would you please tune down you voice. At that volume the whole supernatural population of the Quarter is able to hear you."

"You killed Papa. You _lied_ to me."

"Would you rather he have killed me?" Adriana said through gritted teeth, her eyes flickering to Josh and then to the direction of the parade. Davina breathed out heavily, straightening her back and putting on the signature mask of the Mafiay.

Adriana knew teaching her that face would come and bite her in the back.

"Davina, come with me." Adriana sighed, walking off into another side street without giving her daughter any chance to reply. "We obviously need to talk. Privately. Tayte, take Ulrik home."

She could hear Tayte murmur his disagreement, the ice eyes Norwegian cursing under his breath before taking Ulrik back into the direction of his penthouse.

"Your mother wants to get herself killed Ulrik." Was the last thing she heared Tayte grumble before he disappeared out of her earshot completely.

After a few minutes of walking in silence, Davina came to a sudden stop.

"Hayley is married to Jackson." She said, glancing at Adriana to see her reaction. "Elijah is demanding to know where you are." Her mother only raised a single eyebrow, humming lowly in thought. "Why did you leave him? Why did you leave me?"

"That's the true question of the night, isn't it?" Adriana said, glancing at her daughter. "Why? _Why?_ Shall I tell you a story Davina? When you were born, I knew that you would be born into a society that sew closed your lips and would sell you off to the highest bidder without a second thought. I knew that they would try and hold you back, keep you in a box and tell you to act a certain way. But I knew, I knew the moment I held you in my hands in that dark room, covered in blood and not a soul around me. I knew that this wouldn't just be the birth of a girl. It would be the birth of a revolution." Adriana smiled, a full grin cracking across her face. "You don't need me Davina- not really. You are a revolution, the hurricane and the cure. You are a Mafiay, and no one can ever take that away from you."

"Is it selfish to say that I still want you?" Davina asked hesitantly.

"No." Adriana laughed lightly, wrapping her arms around the warm body that surged into her. Accepting Davinas hug with just as much force. "You're okay, _bambino ragazza_ , it's going to be fine."

Stepping away from each other, Adriana let her hand linger slightly on Davinas cheek. Her soft lips connecting with the girls her line.

"I love you, remember that."

"I love you too, Mama."

With a bright laugh, Adriana disappeared from in front of Davina. The younger girl turning around just in time to see her duck into a side alley, her long black coat billowing behind her.

"That was cute." That male voice made Davinas head snap back to the main street, Kol smiling weakly at her.

"Kol? What's wrong?"

Adriana's strides slowed to a stop in the side street, her hands shoved into the pockets of her black coat. The echo of her heels was silenced as she stopped suddenly, her eyes narrowing down at the cobblestones beneath her feet.

"I don't know whether to be annoyed or relieved I wasn't invited to the wedding." She spoke clearly, turning her head to look over her shoulder and make eye contact with Elijah. The male in question leaning on the brick wall a few feet away from her. "I've come to the conclusion it's a little bit of both."

Without replying, Elijah threw the folder at her. Adriana lifting her hand out of her pocket and catching it easily.

Flicking it open, Adriana scanned the document inside.

 _Dear Mr Elijah Mikaelson and Mrs Adriana Angelo Mafiay-Mikaelson._ It read in clear printed letters.

 _After reading through your application for a divorce, we must sadly deny your request for seperation. On the safe grounds there is no fault we can detect within your marriage. Until you can come into a peaceful agreement within yourselves for such a grand political separation, we must ask you to remain married._

 _If you find it difficult to even live in the same house, we must request that your adopted son (Ulrik Solatino Mikaelson) be kept in an equal shared custody with both of you._

 _Inside this letter, you will find several successful marriage counseling courses._

 _Thank you for your continued time, patience, and support._

Adriana snapped the folder shut, no longer wanting to read the rest of the letter, the message was made clear.

They weren't going to let them divorce.

"Why you little-" Adriana cut herself off with a low growl. "You- you paid them off!"

"I'm neither going to confirm no deny that." Elijah stated calmly, staring back at her.

"Hah!" Adriana smirked triumphantly, stabbing a finger in his direction. "So you admit it."

"Did you not hear a word of what I just said?" He sighed, only rolling his eyes at her dramatics.

"I heard enough to prove my point."

"You're being childish.

"You're the childish one here!"

"The only thing you doing here Adriana; is proving my point." Elijah commented dryly, pushing himself off the wall. "Where is my son?"

"Thankfully, far away from you." Adriana spat, her eyes narrowing as he plucked the folder out of her tan hand. "Why do you even want to know? Why do you care?"

"I don't need to explain myself to you Adriana." Elijah growled back, using his height to stare down at her. "Least of all when it comes to _my_ son."

" _Your_ son." She practically screeched, her brown eyes blazing with fury. "He's _my_ son."

"I beg to differ." Elijah said flatly, stepping closer to her. His voice portraying no emotion.

"Beg all you like, it's not going to change anything." Adriana stated, resisting the instinctive urge to shove him back as he leaned even closer to her face.

"I will ask you one more time Adriana." Elijah snarled. "Where is Ulrik? Where is my son?"

"And I will tell you for one last time. Far away from you and your crazy family." Adriana opened her mouth to go on another rant, only to stop and take in a deep breath of the air around her. "Wait- what? You." Adriana's mouth fell open in confusion, for once she was completely lost for words. "You've been crying. You never cry."

"That just shows how much you actually know Adriana." Elijah scoffed, not denying the statement. Shoving his hands into his suit jacket, he sighed. "What happened to us Adriana?"

"You and your lies did." Adriana stated coldly, lifting her chin up in open defiance, shoving the familiar scent of his body so close to hers in the deepest, darkest corners of her mind. "You'll see Ulrik when I see fit, and not a second sooner."

"You're not strong enough to withstand a storm Adriana." Elijah called after her as she turned around and started walking away. "No matter what you may tell yourself."

"I am the storm." She called back, not turning around as she strutted out of the alleyway. Her red coated lips set in a thin line.

Still growling furiously from the encounter, Adriana stormed through the leftover stragglers from the parade. The soft sound of late night jazz music filling her ears. Stepping past yet another masked werewolf, Adriana gritted her teeth, breathing in deeply to try and calm herself down.

Stupid Elijah.

Stupid Tayte.

Stupid divorce courts.

What had she done to deserve this?

Was it the millions of people she had helped slaughter in cold blood?

Yeah.

It probably had something to do with that.

 _Dio_ , at this rate she would have to start going to confession again.

The sharp buzz of her phone cut her off from her internal ramblings. Lifting the device to her ear, Adriana tilited her head to look at all the stars above her, allowing the soft jazz to slowly flow around her.

"Hey baby girl." She greeted the person on the other end of the line calmly. "What can I do for you?"

 _"Mama. Mama, please, it's about Kol…"_

"I think I want to be alone for this bit." Kol stated, stepping away from Davina and walking through the tombs. Still coughing heavily.

"I'm afraid that's not an option." Another male voice spoke up, Kol turning around to stare at his siblings.

"Always and forever is not something that you just weasel out of, brother." Klaus smiled, Kol staring at them all in surprise.

The sharp click of heels caused everyone to look at Davina, Adriana having appeared beside her only daughter. Her deep brown eyes sharp and clouded with sadness.

"Don't think you can get out of not telling me that easily Kol?" She smiled, Kol just managing to return a smile weakly. "Wait." Adriana's eyes narrowed, staring at the female she didn't recognise. "I have a feeling I've missed a lot."

Adriana kneeled next to Kol's head, her hands resting soothingly on his temples. Various candles were lit around them, and Adriana watched silently as Dacian hurriedly whispered a spell over a necklace she was gripping onto tightly. Kol's house and mouth were both dripping with blood, the dying male groaning slightly and gripping even tighter to the lapels of Klaus' jacket.

"All my life, all I ever wanted was for you lot to care about me." Kol managed to choke out, tilting his head towards his sibling. Adriana also shifted her eyes, glaring at Elijah through the fallen strands in her hair. Returning her stare, Elijah's lips pulled down to form a small frown. Kol laughed bitterly, only to be overcome by a coughing fit.

"Kol, listen to me," Rebekah started. "You don't have long. You're going to die." Kol tightened his grip on her arm. "But you will die a witch, and we will consecrate your body. You will join the ancestors of the French Quarter, and those spirits can be brought back. And, I promise you, brother, I will _not_ leave this body until I find a way to bring you home."

"I tried a different spell." Davina said frantically, handing Kol the necklace. Crawling, Davina curled up into Adriana's side, the older woman absentmindedly running a hand through her hair.

Taking her hand, Kol squeezed it as tightly as he could manage.

"It's okay. I'm not scared." Kol smiled weakly, managing one last laugh before his pulse stopped underneath Adriana's fingertips.

Sobbing, Davina buried her face into the dip of Adriana's neck. Silently, Adriana stood up, pulling her daughter up with her.

"You're going to be okay, my dear. It's be fine." Adriana mumbled into Davinas hair. "This is only the birth of a revolution. Pick your head up, princess. Your tiara is falling."

Wrapping an arm around Davinas waist, Adriana glanced down at the dead body at her feet before guiding them both out of the tomb.

"So that's it?" Elijah spoke up, his voice slightly broken by his withheld tears. "You're just going to up and leave?" Adriana stared back at him coldly, her lips set in a thin line.

"We are the Mafiay." Surprisingly, it wasn't Adriana who said anything; it was Davina. The small with her hurriedly wiping away her tears. "Kol would not have wanted us to beat ourselves up over his death. He would've wanted us to smile, and continue with our head held high, and live on in his memory. So, that is what we're doing."

Adriana was pretty sure she was almost glowing with pride.

Turning on her heel, Adriana lifted her chin and guided Davina out of the cemetery.

"Are you joking?" Tayte said flatly, staring at Adriana from the other side of the breakfast bar.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Adriana retorted, a single hand resting on her hip.

"I'm honestly never certain with you Adri." He mumbled, glancing at a silent Davina sat down in the chair next to Adriana. "Look, I'm not gonna lie Adri, what's gonna happen when they start ripping apart New Orleans searching for her? Knowing you, you've made a few enemies Adri. Watching over a baby is one thing, watching over a teenage girl is another."

"That's why there's two of us and not just me."

" _What?_ "

"My decision is final Tayte, I'm older."

"We're the same age you _dum kivve."_

"Reincarnation doesn't count."

" _Tispe!"_

 _"Bastardo di Dio!_ She's staying."

"Fine." Tayte huffed, turning to Davina. "Third door to the left. Wake Ulrik and I break your fingers."

Nodding, Davina stood up and disappeared down the corridor.

"There, that wasn't that hard."

"… I hate everything you stand for."

"You love me."

Tayte snorted, rolling his eyes before returning to his sandwhich, a deep scowlset upon his face. "Yeah, sure, keep telling yourself that. Whatever helps you sleep at night Adri."


	33. Never Meant To Hurt Anyone

**AN: Hey! I'm really sorry this took so long… Oh well, Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Never Meant To Hurt Anyone**

* * *

 **In which the day is saved with the power of jazz**

* * *

"What!"

"Oh, you heard me."

"I'll have you know that I bestow excellent advice upon my children."

"Like what? That all man are cheating scumbags? To never trust anyone? That isn't good advice Adriana!"

"Davina!" Adriana shouted, turning away from Tayte to meet her daughters eyes. "I give good advice. What's the best price of advice I've ever given you?"

"The best way to a mans heart is through the ribs." Davina stated flatly, not even looking up as she turned another page in Kol's spellbook.

"Adriana!"

"It's a very good piece of advice." Adriana defended herself, holding her hands up in surrender. A small, betraying, smile cracking onto her face.

Tayte moaned lowly, holding his head in his hands, staring at the petite brunette through the gaps in his fingers; "stop smiling, you look ridiculous."

Her smile only grew wider, brown eyes flickering towards the hallway as small whimpers reached their delicate ears. Coming from Ulrik's bedroom.

"Ulrik's up!" Adriana sang softly, hopping off of the barstool and quickly disappearing down the hallway. Her bare feet padding across the wooden floor.

"You want anything?" Tayte sighed, glancing at Davina as he took one of the blood bags out of the fridge. "I think the bread is still in date. I hope."

"Do you think she ever meant to hurt anyone?" Davina asked softly, staring at the hall Adriana had disappeared down. "It's just, now that she's here- with you, me, and Ulrik- she just seems like she never would hurt anyone. Yet, we both now she has."

"That has nothing to do with out of date bread." Tayte pointed out, pouring the blood into a clean glass.

"You knew her." She shot back, Tayte's actions suddenly stopping with the glass halfway to his lips. "Before she knew me, before she even knew Elijah. I'm not clear on reincarnation, but I know people don't just change."

"Look Davina." Tayte muttered, gently putting down his glass and leaning on the breakfast bar. "From when we knew her and now, there's been nine hundred years. Anything could've happened." Davina sighed heavily, her shoulders dropping down, as if the weight of the world had suddenly been dropped upon them. "But, I do think you're right."

"You just said-"

"I know what I said, _lille kattunge._ " Tayte waved off, staring at Adriana's mirror image over the top of his glass. "I don't think Adriana ever truly meant to hurt anyone. Not in the beginning at least. Saying that, It makes it all the more true doesn't it? I knew my wife, she was crazy and almost childish, but she never purposely hurt anyone. I remember that once she came home crying because someone had said a mean comment to her." The corners of his lips lifted in memory of the incident. "That was my wife, the little girl masquerading as a woman, wanting to please everyone. You know, she refused to jump onto my burning pyre. The village was so surprised by her newfound spirit that they let her be."

"Mama was slightly different." She started, her thin hands curling around the edge of her spellbook. "She'd long stopped caring what other people thought. She hated them all, and they hated her back. No matter what they did though, she never hurt any of them. Even when she was angry or upset, she always used to just pick me up and walk away. They threw stones, called her names, refused her the basic needs for survival, and yet she never retaliated. Not once."

"That begs the question." He sighed, staring back at Davina. "What on this green earth did those Mikaelsons do to her?"

A tense silence filled the air for several seconds, Adriana's soft humming the only sound that reached their ears.

"They wanted her to jump onto your burning pyre and kill herself?" Davina commented, scrunching up her nose at the mere thought. "That's barbaric."

"We were vikings," Tayte shrugged calmly, taking another sip of the blood. "That was life."

"Oh, good. No one killed anything while I was gone." Adriana's happy cheer pierced the air, finally clearing it of all the previous tension. The small female waltzing into the room with Ulrik in her hands. "Look at us, being all domestic. I don't know whether to be delighted or bored."

Tayte snorted while Davina smiled softly. Adriana smiling brightly at them both, placing Ulrik in his playpen. Humming along to some distant radio, Adriana passed Tayte, snatching his glass and downing the rest in one big swoop. Laughing and dodging out of his vengeful grip only for the back of her shirt to be caught and held in a vice like grip. Tayte staring down at her with mischief in his eyes. Adriana giggled once more, shrieking as Tayte shoved her back. Muttering about her wasting his drink.

"Get your own Adri." Tayte chuckled, holding the glass out of her reach when she went to grab it once more. Calmly adding a splash of whiskey to the thick red substance. "This ones mine."

"Don't drink around the children." Adriana scolded playfully, resting a hand on her hip. Exchanging an amused glance with Davina.

"That has to be the best piece of advice you've ever said." Tayte smirked, dodging away from her slashing hand with a small chuckle.

"I'll have you know that I give excellent advice!"

Stepping into the mansion, Adriana glanced up at Tayte. Smiling politely at the butler that invited them in, Tayte calmly glanced down at her as well. His ice blue eyes peircing into her brown ones.

"I have to deliver these architectural drawings, Adriana." Tayte reminded her for what seemed like the tenth time that day. "We'll be in and out. I promise."

"Elijah is here." Adriana hissed lowly, crinkling her nose in disgust. "This is not going to be an in and out situation."

They were both dressed formally, Tayte in a black suit and Adriana in a blood red dress that brushed against the wood floor.

"Follow me." The butler called, interrupting whatever Tayte was going to say in reply, leading them across the hallway and stopping by an open archway, both Tayte and Adriana being able to hear the conversation beyond it.

"It's best not to insult those more powerful than you, which is the only reason I allowed you into my home. Now, if you will excuse me, I have many things to do." Josephine told Elijah, an annoyed expression on her face.

"Are we interrupting something?" Tayte spoke up, not even flinching as Adriana dug her nails into his arm. "I'm here to deliver the extension plans you requested."

"Adriana?" Gia choked out in disbelief, Elijah's jaw noticeably tightening.

"Hello." Adrian waved, holding up the envelope in her free hand. "We're here to give you this Ms. LaRue."

Placing the sealed envelope on e nearby table, Adriana and Tayte turned around. Planning to leave.

"Stop right there." Josephine commanded, holding up a hand. "None of you are going anywhere."

"My goodness, I had expected a more cordial welcome here." Elijah smiled, regaining his composure.

"And why would I be cordial to you?" Josephine said coldly, Elijah looking as if he wanted to say something, only to remain silent. "Since your family has returned to this city, our Elders have been murdered. Promising young witches have been inhabited against their will."

"I can put an end to all of it." Elijah argued.

"With all due respect, I can believe that... as much as I believe I will play my violin again someday." Even from their position frozen by the doorway, Adriana and Tayte could see Josephine's swollen and disfigured hands. "Because, Mr. Mikaelson, beneath your formal attire, and behind the lovely Beethoven- you are all the same. Liars. Monsters wearing the skins of humans. Good day to you both. What I really want to know is why my architect is now such a monster?"

"It's a long story." Tayte sighed, rubbing a hand across his face.

"Ms. LaRue, we needn't be unpleasant." Elijah said, noticing that neither Tayte nor Adriana were going to elaborate further.

"I hold no animosity, nor do I want to do you any favors. I simply want you to leave my home."

"Screw her, Elijah." Gia finally spat out, frustrated at the events. "I don't see a friggin' crown on her head."

"I beg your pardon?" Josephine asked calmly.

"You're not the Queen of the witches." Gia continued to rant. "You don't speak for all of them. You know, I can't believe I dressed up and learned how to play Beethoven. I hate Beethoven."

"And what do you like, young lady, if not for Beethoven?" Josephine asked, amused. "Then, what?"

Gia clearedher throat and picked up her violin. Beginning to play a more upbeat jazz tune. Confused, Tayte glanced down at Adriana, only to see her eyebrows scrunching together in bewilderment. Elijah smiled as she continued to play, Josephine seemingly impressed by her talent.

"Eddie South." Josephine acknowledged as Gia lowered the violin. "That makes you a true jazz girl!"

"Wait; what!" Adriana said softly, exchanging a baffled look with Tayte. The ice eyed Male beside her looking equally at a loss for words.

"You know Eddie South?"

"One time, I nearly eloped with a jazz musician." Josephine stated, frowning at the memory and briefly glancing down at her hands. "Um, my mother learned of my plans, and... Let's just say she wasn't pleased. Your candor is refreshing. I find most vampires more calculating."

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Tayte whispered to Adriana, both of them in disbelief at the dramatic turn of events.

"Did-did they just…" Adriana trailed off, her mouth slightly agape.

"No offense." Josephine was telling Elijah, the Original only smiling in response.

"None taken. I also, on occasion, admire her candor."

"…save the day…" Tayte continued, horror in his eyes.

"He has great taste." Gina only smirked, Josephine laughing brightly. "He's also a man you can trust. And I say that as someone who doesn't trust easily."

"…with jazz!" They both chorused, exchanging yet another look of pure terror.

"I think I need to sit down." Adriana whispered faintly, holding a hand to her forehead. Tayte's jaw seemingly latched agape.

"Or, at all, really." Gia finished seriously, staring at Elijah's.

"I suppose I should just hear you out, Mr. Mikaelson." Josephine finally acknowledged, waving her hand at the two gawking bystanders in the doorway. "You two can leave."

Adriana sighed, tapping her foot impatiently as she leaned against the building, wrapping her coat slightly tighter against her form. She'd long since sent Tayte back to the penthouse, not liking to leave her children alone for too long.

"You called?" A deep voice struck her out of her thoughts, her head turning slightly to the side, facing Elijah with a small scoff.

"What took you so long?" She scoffed, reaching into the pocket of her trench coat and bringing out a small slip of slightly crumbled paper. "The court is on my tail and not even people like us are completely above the law. Here." She roughly shoved the paper into his chest, a small sneer in her lips. "If you're even a minute late, I'm leaving."

Catching her wrist before she could fully walk past him, Elijah glanced down at the paper. His eyes scanning over the list of various dates and times hurriedly scrawled over it.

"The address is near the top." Adriana hissed into his ear, roughly pulling her hand to get away from his grip. Frowning when he didn't relinquish his grip. "Let me go."

"Counselling?" Elijah stated flatly, pocketing the paper. "And I had thought you ran out of surprises."

"You don't know me." She growled lowly, her lips lightly brushing against his earlobe. Smirking when she felt his grip tighten around her wrist.

"Oh, but I think I do." He growled back, snapping his teeth just a hairs width away from her ear, finally releasing her wrist.

"Tell me, Elijah." Adriana purred gently, an idea poppinginto her head as she grabbed one of the lapels of his jacket. "I just want to know one thing."

"Anything for you."

"Have you slept with her yet?" She smirked and giggled when Elijah's confident smirk transformed into a sneer.

"Why do want to know?" He scoffed, bending down to he was at eye level with her. "Jealous?"

"Let me know when you want waking up from this delusional dream of yours." She stated, giving him a flat look and releasing his jacket.

Elijah only hummed, tilting his head as a smirk appeared on his lips once more. "Have a nice day, _gypsy girl_."

"Have a dreadful one, _Elijah._ " She snarled back, purposely not calling him her centuries old nickname for him.

"You know what I think, Adriana Angelo Mafiay." Elijah practically purred, stepping away from her and shoving his hands into his suit pockets. "I think you're in way over your pretty little head. Come home Adriana. Come home, with Ulrik, and we can put this whole ordeal behind us. Bring Davina as well, maybe I'll even refrain from killing your little boy toy. Tayte? Was that it?"

"And this is where you always go wrong." Adriana sighed dramatically, running a hand through her short hair. "You always seem to make the disappointing mistake of underestimating me."

"I don't think I am."

"But the fact remains that you are." Another voice spoke up, Tayte effortlessly stepping in between the two. His black dinner jacket casually thrown over his right shoulder, and the crisp white sleeves of his shirt rolled up to his elbows. "You coming, Adriana?"

She nodded slowly, gently taking his offered arm.

"She's my wife." Elijah said slowly, stepping in front of Tayte before the Norwegian could leave. "She was mine first."

"In all technicality," Tayte growled out lowly, stepping around Elijah, and leading Adriana out of the cold alley. "She was mine long before she was ever yours."

Glancing behind her, Adriana stared back at Elijah's fury fuelled glare until she lost sight of him.

"I don't like him." Tayte sneered, black veins pulsing briefly.

"He's mine to deal with." She stated. "Just leave it, Tayte. This doesn't have to involve you. Don't make it any harder than this already has to be."

His ice blue eyes flickered down to meet her warm brown ones, his jaw clenching even tighter as he nodded sharply. Seemingly still conflicted on the topic.

"Don't do anything stupid." He muttered lowly, dragging his eyes away from hers to scowl at the concrete floor.

"Thank you, Tayte."

"Don't thank me just yet."

"Pass the pepper, Davina." Tayte called across the table, shoving another piece of pasta into his mouth, effortlessly catching the ceramic cylinder that was telepathically thrown to him. "Thanks."

"Don't eat with your mouth open." Adriana reprimanded, rolling her eyes as she fed Ulrik another spoonful of sauce. "Honestly, how you ever pass for an adult is a mystery to me."

Davina muffled a laugh with another mouthful of food, Tayte shooting her a sour look.

Two sharp knocks on the front door aruptedly killed the light atmosphere.

"Was anyone expecting anything?" Tayte asked, glancing around the table as Adriana and Davina both shook their heads.

"I'm going to answer it." Adriana sighed, as several more knocks sounded. Placing down the plastic spoon in her hand.

Standing up from the table, Adriana slowly turned the handle and opened the door. Only to come face to face with someone she had never seen before in her life.

"Can I help you?" Adriana stated flatly, narrowing her eyes at the woman before her and placing a hand in her hip.

The women was obviously a witch. A powerful one too.

"Are you Adriana Mikaelson?" The woman asked, glancing behind Adriana where the brunette vampire knew Tayte, Davina, and Ulrik had all gathered behind her.

"Mafiay." She corrected, her voice turning cold.

"What?" The blonde in the doorway blinked slowly.

"My last name, it's Mafiay. Not Mikaelson." She explained, her brown eyes narrowing further.

"My name is Freya." The woman introduced herself, ignoring Adriana's annoyed expression. "Your married to my brother Eli-"

With a deep set scowl, Adriana slammed the door in her face. Only to have it swing wide open once more, a frowning Freya revealed in the hallway.

"That was rude." Freya commented easily. "I only came by to talk."

"If you really are related to that _bastardo,_ to any of them, then I do not even want you within a five mile radius." Adriana snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. "Leave."

"I don't know you Adriana, and you don't know me." Freya started, narrowing her eyes as Adriana rolled hers. "My only wish is that you at least let my brother see his son."

"You were right about one thing, Miss Mikaelson." Adriana mocked, her jaw clenching as she ran a hand through her chestnut brown hair. "You don't know me, That is unfortunately most people go wrong."

"Dahlia always like you the most." Freya muttered, a frown appearing on her lips.

"Don't know who that is, don't really care that much." She smiled tightly. "Have a nice a day. Davina, if you could."

The door slammed shut without anyone lifting a finger.

"Hey Rebekah." Adriana mumbled through the toothbrush in her mouth the next day. Padding through the open plan penthouse, a toothbrush dangling from her lips as she calmly walked past an annoyed Davina and Rebekah.

"I thought you hated all Mikaelsons." Tayte grumbled appearing after her with a grinning Ulrik in his arms. The blonde haired baby boy clapping enthusiastically at the thought of food.

Adriana only shrugged, muttering something inaudible, quickly brushing her teeth and disappearing down the corridor once more. Returning a few seconds later looking slightly less frenzied.

"Are you serious?" Davina scolded Rebekah, scattered books and pages spread out over the large oak table .I'm supposed to drop all of my work to help you figure out your nightmares?"

"Look, they're more than dreams." Rebekah argued, looking slightly disturb at the normal family function going on in the penthouse. "I came here hoping you'd have some witchy way to figure out what's wrong and help me fix it." Rebekah stopped suddenly, glancing around the penthouse. "Yet here you are, playing families, with a nine hundred year old vampire, a reincarnated Viking and an adopted boy."

"I'll pretend I didn't here that." Tayte spoke up lifting his glass to the female Original.

"I've been here, studying all this stuff since Kol died, and I thought that you were going to help me bring him back like you promised." Davina scowled angrily, Tayte and Adriana watching the event like their favourite show had just come on.

"Look, I can't help Kol if the witch he stuck me in ends up taking me over! There's something wrong. I think the rightful owner of this body is waking up inside me, and she's angry."

Sighing in frustration, Davina gestured to the books in front of her.

"These are Kol's spell books." Davina said, slightly more tensely than before. "I'm sure there's something in here that can help."

Narrowing her eyes from where she leaned against the counter, Adriana took a sip from her mug.


	34. You Good?

**AN: I just wanted to make sure because I'm paranoid-but is everyone still confused about what's happening? It's just that some people mentioned it, and I just wanted to make sure. Anyway, Enjoy!**

* * *

 **You Good?**

* * *

 **In which love triangles are just premature threesomes**

* * *

It took Adriana approximately three hours to come to the conclusion that Davina had been kidnapped. Naturally, her first suspect was Elijah.

"I looked into her eyes, and I saw only anger and fear." Klaus shrugged, still glancing around his brothers loft. "The will to do whatever it takes to survive, no matter who she hurts. I can use her to my own ends, but I could never allow so damaged a creature to have a say in my plans."

"You may not trust her, or trust me, brother- we may have had our differences of late- but we shall exercise the same caution we have always demonstrated toward our allies." Elijah stated, glancing behind Klaus and sighing slightly. "Excuse me for a minute, I'm going to have to put this conversation on hold."

"Elijah! _Tu bastardo!_ " As If on cue, Adriana's heavily accented, and shrill voice pierced the air as the female strutted into the loft. "Where is my daughter? _Cazzo_ _!_ I know you have her!"

"Hello Adriana," Elijah greeted calmly. "Is it becoming a habit of yours to punctuate every phrase with an insult? Or is that act just reserved for me?"

"Cheating man whore." Adriana screeched in response, stomping over to them and standing next to Klaus with her arms folded stubbornly across her chest. "Where is she?"

"I have no idea."

"Of course you-" Adriana stopped herself mid sentence, her eyes narrowing dramatically. "You actually have no idea."

"I have no idea." Elijah repeatedly led slowly, watching a sneer slowly fill Adrianas face.

"A load of help you are then." The small brunette snapped hareshly, turning on her heel and stomping away a few steps, before seemingly changing her mind and looking over her shoulder. "You're looking after Ulrik tomorrow. I trust that you at least have the mental capacity for that."

"Of course." Elijah nodded, Adriana regarding him coldly for several seconds before turning back around and marching out of the room. "I'll see you at seven then Adriana."

"Don't remind me." Adriana growled, turning the corner and disappearing from sight.

"As I was saying…" Klaus drawled out slowly, taking advantage of the silence. "I'll let you pursue it. But, should Freya betray us-"

"Nothing." Tayte tells her, Ulrik cradled in his arms. "Not a single trace."

Growling loudly, Adrianas tan hand curled into tight fists. Sharp nails digging into her palm.

"Elijah doesn't have her." She spat out, glaring at the small layer of dust that covered the apartment floor.

"You sure?"

"As much as I don't like the man, he's not lying." Adriana hissed, pacing the room. "Where is she? It's not as if she can just vanish."

"Adriana, calm down." Tayte, the voice of reason, stated calmly. Putting down Ulrik, and holding Adriana gently by her shoulders before she ran a dent into the floorboards.

"Don't tell me to calm down." Adriana spat in his face, easily stepping out of his grip."Speaking of, how are you so calm? It's like you don't even care-"

" _Nok, Adriana."_ Tayte finally snapped out, the familiar tone of voice making Adrianas jaw snap shut. "If you're going to place the blame game then you can place it on yourself."

"Me?" Adriana spluttered out. "What did I do?"

"I'll tell you exactly what you did." Tayte growled, staring down at her with sharp eyes. "If you just weren't so selfish then we wouldn't be in this situation full stop."

"What are you _talking_ about?" Adrianas voice had risen a few octaves.

"You should have just jumped on my funeral pyre." Tayte hissed, Adriana opening her mouth to speak. "No. I am talking Adriana and for once in how many lives you've lived you are going to listen. There's a ton of things I wish I hadn't done, and more that I wish I did. We got into an argument the day I left for war, remember?" Adrianas mouth snapped shut, her eyes glassing over slightly. She remembered. "And I spent that whole fight wishing I hadn't said those things to you, and that was what got me killed. You asked me why I don't act like I care Adriana? Because, unlike you, I've found that regretting past decisions is no way to live. So shut up and actually think with those few brain cells you have left."

During their argument, Tayte had backed Adriana into a wall, using his height to tower over her. Ice eyes met oak in a heated stare.

 _Snarling like an animal, Adriana threw the ceramic plate at Taytes head, the Viking warrior sidestepping, both of them watching the plate shatter against the wall. Marching forward, she raised her fist, ignoring Sygrids cries as she moved to punch her husband in the face._

 _Gently grabbing her small wrist with his larger hand, Tayte watched Adriana struggle for several seconds before falling limpin his grasp._

 _"Hey." Tayte said gently, leaning down so his forehead rested lightly on hers. "You good?"_

 _"I'm good." Adriana nodded slowly, accepting his hand._

"You good?" Adriana asked quietly, staring up at him.

"I'm good." Tayte nodded, leaning his forehead on the wall. "Are you dropping of Ulrik tomorrow?"

"There's a bar named Rousseau's in the quarter." Adriana stated, staring blankly ahead of her. "I won't be back till late."

Tayte nodded silently, ice blue eyes following her as she walked away.

(In the midst of a thousand tears of memories, Adriana remember the ' _You're okay_.' Elijah used to tell her. The statement, the fact that wasn't always true. This was a question, a hesitant reassurance that she could give an answer. A silent agreement. She liked _'Are you good_?' more.)

Adriana burst out laughing the minute she walked into Josephine's living room. Ulrik resting on her hip.

Elijah and Gia, were are dressed up in cocktail attire, standing awkwardly in the room with Hayley, who kept clearing her throat nervously.

"...I'm gonna see if I can find Josephine." Gia murmured, practically fleeing the room at the sight of the female vampire.

"Oh by the gods…" Adriana gasped out through loud giggles. "Oh this is great. What do you think _Soldatino_? We think Elijah's been sleeping with that girlie haven't we, hm? Oh and to leave Hayley out of it all, it's terrible isn't it Ulrik? Well, you know what they say, love triangles are just premature threesomes."

"Please stop." Elijah said flatly, gently taking Ulrik from her hands. "He's barely one Adriana."

"Well, now I see why you didn't answer my calls." Hayley spoke up, sarcasm dripping from her voice as she sat down. "Did she have to come with us?"

"Josephine LaRue can be rather recalcitrant." Elijah said, sitting down next to her. "She is, however, enamored with Gia's musical prowess and cavalier spirit."

"Huh. So, the Baby-Vamp is now the Witch-Whisperer? I'm just glad that you found someone so... multi-talented to spend your time with..."

"What exactly do you want from me?" Elijah said, rolling his eyes.

"The exact same thing most mistresses want from you Elijah." Adriana drawled out with a smirk, relaxing into an armchair. "You're _unrivalled_ loved and devotion. It's just a shame that you have commitment issues, isn't it?"

"Why are you still here?" Elijah asked, turning to her with narrowed eyes.

"I'm not leaving you alone with Ulrik." She stated calmly, gesturing to the boy resting on Elijahs arm.

"Madame LaRue." Elijah smiled, looking like he desperately wanted to snap back at the female sitting across from him.

"Mr. Mikaelson." Josephine greeted, sitting down into another armchair. "Have you come to impress me once more with young Gia's rare talents? I've already met Adriana briefly. What, pray tell, does this one do? And the little one?l"

"They're family, Madame. Hayley, and my adopted son Ulrik." Elijah introduced them both calmly. "But, we've come to ask for a favor."

"Because I'm pretty much done and through with the vamps, wolves, and witches of this town." Vincent was saying at Rousseau bar, not noticing the ice eyed male that glanced their way. "And, from some of the looks I've been getting, they're through with me, too. So, if I'm sitting here, they don't see me, and if I drink… After a while, I don't see them, either."

"Join the club." Tayte snorted, slamming down his glass and walking over to the table. "Marcel, ain't ya? Adriana's mentioned you."

"So you're the new addition to her nightmare club." Marcel stated, eyeing the tall Norwegian male up and down. "I've heard about you."

"New, yeah, a rejoining member more like." Tayte scoffed, leaning back into his seat. "Reincarnation and all that, you really don't want to know. My names Tayte, nice to meet you."

The statement had Adrianas signature snark painted all over it.

"And how many is it gonna take before she disappears?" Marcel asked, resuming the conversation as he picked up the photo of Vincent and Eva.

"Come on, man-" Vincent whined as Marcel yanked the photo out of his reach.

"You need to know that she is back and on the loose, and I need to find her before the witches do so I can save my friend who is trapped inside of her. And I came to you, because you are the only person in this city who knows her inside-out."

Marcel held out the photo, Vincent scowling at the snickering Tayte as he snatched the picture back and putting it into his wallet.

"Look, man- I'm sorry about your friend." Vincent said. "But, if Eva is back in control of her body..."

"Then, you need to let the witches put that body down." Josephine stated coldly, Adriana watching the conversation with narrowed eyes. "Eva will use up your sister, just like she did the others."

"The others?" Hayley asked, confusion written across her face.

"The first of the kids went missing two years ago." Vincent continued, Tayte leaned forward in his seat, suddenly paying attention. "Feels like a lifetime. I was, uh, clocking in- college, work, coven. Felt like a normal life. But, um, had this woman. Met when we were sixteen years old, did our first bit of magic together it was so insanely intense."

"Eva was a wild beauty practicing a wild magic." Josephine explained. "But, she and Vincent were so happy, we let them be."

"And then the children began to disappear." Elijah sighed, holding Ulrik closer to his chest.

"First was a little girl named Amelie Dupree from Algiers. Then, Lou-Anne Hughes from the 9th, Nicholas Alseis from the Tremé..." Vincent trailed off, kissing his fingertips as if in prayer to the children. "All young kids, all witch prodigies- vanished into thin air. So, I put together a posse of guys from each of the covens, but the killer cloaked the kids so quickly, our locator spells was useless."

"But, because of Vincent's tenacity, she was caught." Josephine continued, glancing at the people gathered in her living room.

"It was a fluke! I was able to slap a locator spell on one of the kids right after he got snatched, and I got nothing at first. And then a car, and then a face... But that face, man- it was Eva." Vincent laughed bitterly. "The love of my life. So, I caught her, confronted her... and then I saw the truth. She kept pleading with me-" His voice pitched as he began to imitate the woman " _Vince! Just three more little girls, Vince! Just three!_ "

"Why three?" Marcel asked, confused.

"To complete the Rite of Nines." In the La Rue mansion and all the way in Rousseaus, Adrianas and Taytes lips tightened into a thin line.

"The Rite of Nines?"

"Eva thought if she sacrificed a witch from each of the nine covens, it would create a new witch order in New Orleans." Vincent stated. "She would have been more powerful than any Elder- Any Harvest girl..."

"Wait, wait, wait." Marcel said, Tayte watching the conversation with even more interest. "But why kids?"

"Because their magic is untapped." Vincent explained. "It's pure. And, they're a hell of a lot easier to subdue."

"That's why she went after my baby." Hayley realised, Adriana fidgeting in her seat and glancing between the door and Ulrik.

"She would have killed your daughter, channeled her powers, as she did with those other poor children." Josephine nodded.

"I never found those kids." Vincent said sadly. "They died- unconsecrated, unable to be with our ancestors. Usedas a source for Eva's magic."

"So, help me find her before she takes any more lives, including Rebekah's." Marcel nearly pleaded, Tayte watching them over the rim of his glass. "Help me stop her."

"Oh, Adrianas gonna love this." Tayte smirked slightly, watching the two interact.

"We agree she must be stopped, no more of our youth will die." Josephine said, standing to her feet. "That is why, Mr. Mikaelson, I will not extend your twenty-four hours. Eva Sinclair now has a bounty on her head."

"You would condemn my sister to her death?" Elijah nearly shouted, outraged.

"I dislike the term 'collateral damage,' but there it is. If one or two must fall to take Eva down for good? So be it."

While the tensions in the room increased, Adriana looked down at her phone when it vibrated. A simple text appearing from Tayte.

 _I know who has Davina. Leave it to me._

Adriana let a smirk appear on her face, shoving her phone in her pocket and watching the commotion with new found enjoyment.

Her beast had come out to play.

Oh, this should be good.

"I'm coming with you." Tayte demanded, trailing after Vincent and Marcel.

"No, you're not." Marcel growled back. "One, I don't know you. Two, most things Adriana ends up sticking her nose in tend to explode, and we don't need that happening."

A frown appeared on Tayte's face, teeth grinding together and his eyes flashing slightly.

"You'd live longer if you gave us a bit more credit." The male said coldly.

"I'm fine as I am." Marcel snapped back, stepping around the taller man.

"I really didn't want to do this." He sighed softly, eyeing the retreating males back and disappearing, only to reappear next to Vincent with his hand wrapped around his throat and a finger gun pressed against his temple. "Bang, bang. You're dead." He stepped back before Vincent could lash out at him with magic. "My point is that Eva's not gonna be stopped by some fantasy ideal stupid people call love. And you're not gonna kill her because you fancy the lady also lurking in her body. So when push comes to shove, I'm there to make sure no one get out alive."

"Why do you care so much?" Marcel asked him, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"Mafiay family code." Tayte replied flatly. "You mess with one, you mess with all. Eva messed Adriana over, you mess with Adriana, you start messing with me."

"Whenever you get tired of being Adriana's pet." Marcel sighed reluctantly. "You can work for me."

"You don't know Adriana that much, do you?" He smirked.

"Oh-ho-ho-ho!" Marcel laughed as he sped into the room, snapping the magic disabling bracelets onto Eva's wrists before she could react. "Not really keen on another witch headache."

"Dark objects?" Eva asked, looking at the shackles furiously before glaring at the male. "How did a damn vamp find me?"

"Oh, chill out woman." A voice groaned Tayte staring down at Eva with a sneer.

"I had a little help- someone who knew where an injured witch on the run might go to heal up." Marcel said, answering her question.

"Vince?" Eva whispered in horror, seeing the male enter the room.

"Do you ever not speak in questions?" Tayte spoke up, sending her a look from where he calmly sat on the floor.

"No time for catch-up." Marcel said furiously, pinning Eva to the wall. "Release Rebekah! Now"

"Best not damage the package, or you may never see her again." Eva smirked. "Or your little adopted witch Davina."

"What did you just say?"

"Oh, some daddy-figure you are!" Eva laughed loudly. "Why do you think the Viking cares so much?" All eyes turned to Tayte who's jaw locked in fury. "I've been feeding off of her for days, and you didn't even know she was gone?"

"Everybody shut it!" Tayte shouted over the noise. "Marcel step away." Calmly standing up and walking over to Eva, leaning so he was in eye contact of the witch. "Listen, Eva was it?" At her nod, Tayte continued in a deathly calm voice. "Right Eva, you are going to tell me where Davina is or I'm slowly going to crush each and every one of your fingers. Does that sound like a good plan? Because it sounds like an amazing plan to me."

"You won't do it." Eva scoffed, calling his bluff.

In reply, Tayte smiled gently as he forced her hand onto the table, his fist slamming down on her pinky finger before anyone could stop him. The sudden pain causing Eva to cry out. "Wrong answer. Let's try this again, where is Davina?"

"Go to hell." Eva spat.

Sighing, Tayte flipped over her hand and pressed into her palm until her heard bones start to crack and calliopes under her knuckles. His voice still calm and even bored as he spoke, "Wrong answer again. You suck at this game."

"Torture ain't gonna do it, man!" Vincent spoke up, obviously concerned. "Half the witches in this city went after her, she ain't say a thing."

"You got a better idea?" Marcel asked obviously annoyed, Tayte silent but refusing to release his tight grip on Eva's wrist.

"Yeah!" Vincent nodded. "Let me talk to her."

"And what?" Tayte scoffed, finally breaking away from his staring contest with Eva. "You win her over with your magical eternal love and charisma? Please, don't make me sick."

"Just let me talk to her" Vincent pleaded, Eva smirking at him over Taytes shoulder.

"I assure you, Madame LaRue, we will defend your witches with a fearsome vengeance." Elijah bargained.

"You have a wonderful way with words." Josephine started, Adriana hiding her laughter frown where she sat. "Really. Your cadence is pleasant. Normally, I could listen to it all day long, but I grow tired of this. My mind remains unchanged."

"Are you serious?" Hayley asked angrily. Josephine looking slightly offended at her outburst, while Adriana leaned forward in her seat as if her favourite show had just turned on. "She puts on a talent show." Hayley ground out, gesturing to Gia and Elijah. "He has every vampire in the Quarter kissing your ass, and your final answer is 'Screw you?'"

"Hayley-" Gia started, only to be interrupted by Hayley.

"Back off."

"We came here to honor the alliance between us. If this is something you wish to rescind, so be it." Elijah tried to mediate.

"Oh, leave them Elijah." Adriana laughed, the sound bouncing around the room. "This was just starting to get good."

As if in reply to Adrianas statement, Elijah picked up Ulrik and turned to leave. Hayley, Gia, and Adriana all standing to follow him out.

"Don't you dare walk into my house and threaten me! I am not the one that needs you, Elijah Mikaelson- it is you who needs us. Or, you will soon enough." Josephine turned to find Hayley standing right behind her, roughly grabbing her wrists she whispered: "There's a storm coming, child. Your darkest demons ride upon it.I do not know its name, but when I peer into your future, there is a blackness that should terrify you."

Tayte watched silently as Marcel stormed into the room, only to be given an aneurysm by Vincent. Stepping back, he easily blended into the shadows as they ran past. Watching the two leave, Tayte took out his phone, pressing call with a smirk on his face.

"Adri, you're never going to believe this…"

"Did we miss something good?" Adriana asked, a newly awakened Davina leaning against Tayte for support while Ulrik sat quietly in her arms. "It sounded like we missed something good."

"Davina!" Marcel cried in relief, laughing slightly as he hugged the girl. "You're okay!"

Adriana smiled as the two embraced, watching Rebekah, still in Eva's body, shoot up into a sitting position with a short cry.

Leaning down, Tayte pressed his forehead against Adriana's.

"You good?"

"I'm good."


	35. Regret

**AN: Hello people of the world! Just a little warning: foul language in this chapter so kiddies (Why are you here? This story is messed up in so many ways. Seriously, don't base your romance on Elijah and Adri. Don't do it.) be warned. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Regret**

* * *

 **In which Adriana is _not_ cute**

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With a piece of toast hanging from his mouth and rolling his eyes over the blueprint of a sculpture in his eyes, Tayte opened the front door. His cold blue eyes flickering up before a deep scowl dampened his sharp features.

"Sorry, we're not looking to buy any needless family drama today." He stated sarcastically, about to slam the door in the brothers faces, only for them to barge past him and into the penthouse.

"Adriana!" Elijah shouted, looking around the wooden complex. "Davina!"

"I'm getting really sick of this…" Tayte sighed closing the door and dropping the plans onto a nearby table while he ate the last bit of the toast. "Can I help you?"

"No." Klaus said flatly, glancing at the male.

Tayte frowned deeply, his fingers twitching to run the butter knife that lay on the kitchen table through one of their hearts.

"They're not here." Tayte snapped, pushing his hands into the pocket of his jacket so he wouldn't do anything drastic. "They went out."

"When will they be back?" Elijah asked, turning and looking at the other male. Taytes reply was a simple one shouldered shrug, eyeing the two of them carefully, the frown still present on his face.

"You can go now." He stated flatly, as if the next course of action was obvious, staring at the two as he pointed towards the door. "You overstayed your welcome the second you stepped through the-"

A sharp cry made Tayte instantly fall silent, his eyes trailling to the corridor in which the sound was coming from, before flickering up to the clock that hung on a nearby wooden beam. Muttering calculations under his breath.

"Two hours." He finally sighed, a hand reaching up to rub the back of his neck. "Adriana's gonna murder me."

Using his newfound vampiric speed to disappear from behind the two brothers, Tayte reappeared a few moments later with a crying Ulrik in his arms.

" _Babyen. Babyen…"_ He cooked softly, eyeing the two men over the top of Ulriks head. "Don't you worry, _Pappa_ will get rid of these two _idioter_ for you. Shush _babyen…"_

Elijah stepped forward, a fire igniting in his eyes as he opened his mouth. Most likely to make a fuss over the _Pappa_ statement that Tayte had said passingly as he cooed over the Originals adopted son. But, like at most opportune moments, Adriana walked in.

Pausing in the open doorway, Adriana narrowed her brown eyes at the two men standing in the large open room.

"Tayte." Her voice was deathly calm, as she gilded into the penthouse. "Why are there two cockroaches in our home?"

"I'm working on it Adri'." Tayte waved off, Ulrik still whimpering in his arms.

"Elijah." Adriana spat, her brown eyes resting on her ( _technically still_ ) husband.

"Adriana." Elijah nodded in greeting, as if Adriana didn't look like she wanted to punch him out of a window.

Davina trailed in after her mother, her steps slightly too close together to be as graceful as Adriana made walking seem in six inch stilettos but she was on her way there.

"What do you want, Klaus?" The witch sighed, seeing the hybrid also standing in their home.

"Well, perhaps I'm merely concerned about you all." Klaus smiled. "You do seem to spend an inordinate amount of time in graveyards for a teenager. It's a rather morbid habit."

Tayte glanced at Adrianas shoes, seeing the slight lining of fine mud that painted the usual porcelain black of her shoes, and deduced that was where they had gone with the bouquet of summer flowers Adriana had put together.

"Well, I am touched by your concern. Anything else?" Davina asked sarcastically, Adriana watching the conversation carefully in case she needed to step in.

"Now that you mention it, there is one matter with which I can use your help- Mikael." All eyes snapped to Klaus, the Mafiay clan suddenly deciding that he needed their full attention. "It appears that my sister, Freya, has dispatched him to gather some items I require, and seeing as how you brought him back from the dead, I'm guessing you have the means to find him."

"Sorry." Davina shrugged, her eyes cautiously meeting Taytes over Klaus' shoulder, who nodded in unspoken agreement. "I'd love to help, but I'm busy mourning another dead boyfriend."

"Do you think you're the only one who grieves my brother?" Klaus asked, suddenly turning serious.

Adriana scoffed and rolled her eyes from where she stood, leaning against the table, murmuring something under her breath that sounded vaguely like: ' _It would be a first…'_

"I understand you hope to bring Kol back. Resurrection spells can be very tricky. They tend to require a remnant from the dearly departed. I, myself, am the guardian to Kol's remains- the ashes of his true body." Davina looked up, suddenly interested once more. "Now, I might be inclined to entrust them to you, were myself feeling helpful."

Glancing at Adriana, Tayte, and then back to Adriana, Davina looked slightly lost for words.

"Fine." She eventually sighed. "I'll find Mikael for you, and you'll give me Kol's ashes. Deal?"

"Deal."

"This turning into a family outing, or something?" Klaus smirked as he approached the bench, Adriana sat on the furthest left of the bench, her jean clad legs stretched out into the street and her cat-like eyeliner as perfect as always, her head tiltied back and her eyes closed. Tayte looked up from his phone at the approaching hybrid, the tall Norwegian male ran a single hand through his borderline black hair as he watched the approaching male carefully, a scowl set on his face. Davina calmly sat in between them, impatiently waiting for Klaus, her brown her loose around her shoulders, and her door tapping on the cobblestone floor.

"No." Tayte answered, standing up and staring coldly at the original. "We just don't trust you."

"Now Tayte," Adriana chastised softly from where she sat. Her stretched out legs the only thing separating Klaus from Tayte. "Just because you lost the game…"

"I still say we kill him." Tayte mumbled under his breath, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket.

"And I still say that your methods are boring and at the end of the day don't even work." Adriana sighed, finally opening her eyes and staring down the Male. "We'll kill him when we find a permanent way of doing it."

"What's the deal, anyway?" Davina asked, calmly used to Tayte and Adrianas usual wavelength of thinking: _if we can't kill it, find a way to use it until we can kill it._ "Aiden at your beck and call now?"

"I'm simply mentoring a promising young wolf." Klaus answered, coming to a stop in front of the bench.

"Josh isn't gonna be too happy when he finds out about it." Davina commented, her head tilting slightly to the side.

"And I am shaking in my boots at the mere thought of his displeasure." Klaus said sarcastically, rolling his eyes at the thought. "You see, Davina, Josh and Aiden are in love, which means they both have something to lose, thus making them all too easily manipulated... should the need arise."

"It must really suck to have to be you all the time." Davina deadpanned, raising a single eyebrows at Klaus' slightly offended expression.

"You know Adri," Klaus said, turning to the giggling female.

"Yes, darling?" Adriana asked softly, a small smirk on her face.

"Sometimes I can't believe you two are related, but now I finally understand." Adriana raised a single eyebrow, urging Klaus to continue. "You both have the indisputable ability to be downright infuriatingly annoying."

"Thank you." Adriana smiled softly.

"You know, the thing is, you have a thing we find incredibly annoying too, don't you?" Davina sighed, both females staring up at the hybrid coldly. "Someone you love more than anything, even yourself." Klaus' smile fell instantly. "How does that feel, to be one of us? Someone with something to lose? Is that your guy?"

Tilting her head up, Adriana watched the back door of the cab open and Mikael step out onto the street, Klaus immediately appearing behind him. Leaning forward, Adriana watched the exchange with a passing amount of interest.

"Well, well, well, well…" Mikael drawled out slowly. "If it isn't the bastard himself. Have you come looking for another beating, boy?"

"As much as I'd love to kill you again, I wonder if our interests might be better served by joining forces." Klaus said, clearly unimpressed. "You know full well the threat we face. So, how about it, Father? Care to join your bastard son on a witch-hunt?"

"This is it- one last favor, and if you don't give me his ashes, I swear, I will-" Davina said, setting up for the spell by pouring salt into the shapes of sigils onto the concrete floor of the alley.

"Davina, whatever you may think of me, I am a man of my word." Klaus interrupted.

"I've changed my vote." Daviana scowled, turning to Tayte and Adriana who were leaning against the alley wall, staring at Mikael when he appeared like they wanted nothing more than to rip his head off. "We can kill him after this."

"We're working on it." Tayte said, Adriana nodding slightly.

"Actually, he's a liar, a beast, and a degenerate, but in this exceptional instance, he may be of some use." Mikael stated, stopping by Klaus.

"Oh good, you're back." Klaus said.

"Dahlia's minion remains within St. Anne's Church." Mikael informed them, narrowing his eyes at Tayte in recognition.

"Clearly, it's a trap." Klaus waved off.

"Of course it's a trap!" Mikael almost shouted in exasperation, tearing his eyes away from Tayte to face Klaus. "And how good is it that we bring surprises of our own?"

"Wait, so you two are friends now?" Davina asked, her eyebrows knitted together slightly.

"Absolutely not!" Klaus denied immediately. "We merely aligned out of necessity for the purpose we both enjoy the most- glorious murder. In fact, you'll be helping."

"You said you needed a binding spell." Davina corrected, Adriana kicking off the wall and watching Klaus closely.

"And here, my lovely little witch, is what you will bind!" Mikael pulled out two leather pouches and a bottle of blood from his pockets, handing them to Davina. "Soil from Dahlia's homeland, that which links her to this mortal coil. Along with Viking ash, that of her oppressors, the source of her immense hatred. And finally, blood of her adopted child, my beloved daughter Freya, the closest thing to love that miserable witch has ever known."

"All the sources of her power bound together create a weakness." Davina explained, placing all three items into one of the small sigils. "So, what do you want me to do?"

"Simple." Klaus stated sharply. "Bind those ingredients to a weapon.

"Well, am I supposed to go to the toy store and get a slingshot?" Davina asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she rose her eyebrows.

"Use this." Mikael said, handing her one of his knives.

"You just wouldn't be you if you didn't have a knife, would you?" Klaus said, rolling his eyes dramatically.

"Well, perhaps you can steal it later and dull it's blade with your 'art.'" Mikael mocked.

"Do this favor, help us end this evil witch's reign, and I will live up to my end of our bargain. I swear it on my daughter's life." Klaus promised, approaching Davina.

"Of course you will uphold your end of the bargain." Adriana almost purred, stepping over the salt sigils to stand in front of the hybrid. "Because if you didn't, I would hunt you down and there'd be no place in the world you could hide from me and my hunger for vengeance."

"Are you threatening me Adri?" Klaus growled lowly, leaning forward as his eyes darkened slightly in anger.

"We're just stating some facts of life." Tayte drawled out, tugging Klaus back and away from Adriana by the collar of his shirt. "No need to get so defensive about it."

"You've got a big mouth for a baby vampire." Klaus growled, tugging himself out of Tayte's light grip. "Just because your Adrianas pet doesn't stop me from ripping you to shreds, I'm sure Elijah would thank me."

"I've got nothing to fear from you hybrid." Tayte stared evenly, snapping his teeth together.

"Maybe you should." Klaus said, turning to Adriana. "You know what I don't get, little Adri, is that even after everything you've done, you're still part of our family. And Elijah still loves you."

"Not my fault that Elijah is an _idiota_." Adrian shrugged lightly, accent heavy as she crossed her arms across her chest. "But I've got better things to do with my life than worry about your pathetic family dynamics. You stay out of our business and give us those ashes, and we'll stay out of yours."

"I hope you know what you're doing." Davina said after a brief moment of hesitation, waving off both Tayte and Adriana. Both of the torture and interrogation experts backing off.

Glancing at each other across the alley, Adriana sighed softly.

The penthouse is empty when Adriana returns, wiping the fresh blood from her lips and scowling at the stains that decorated her blouse.

"You know." She spoke softly, her tone almost defeated as she flicked on the light. "Last I heard, breaking and entering was a crime."

Elijah only hummed from where he stood in front of the large, floor to ceiling, window. His eyes surveying over the city, and a sleeping Ulrik resting on his shoulder.

"So is assault and murder." He commented, his eyes flickering over to where she stood with her blood stained lips and clothing.

"No one will miss them." Adriana waved off, softly closing the door behind her as not to wake Ulrik. "Where is the babysitter I hired?"

"Compelled and paid for her time." Elijah informed her, still not facing her as her rocked Ulrik gently. "Where are Davina and Tayte?"

"Shopping. Davina wanted to take her shoes to be repaired, and Tayte noticed we had run out of milk." She said, coming to stand next to him. "Why are you here Elijah?"

"You have betrayed me." Elijah said blankly, Adrianas eyes immediately hardening over. The gentleness vanishing from her face. "The boy, Tayte, apparently his mouth is exceeding his head."

"And you're a hypocrite, what is the point of this conversation?"

"The point Adriana." Elijah finally snapped, turning on his heel to face her. The woman in question finally realising how angry he truly was. "Is that you have turned your back on me and given your _favour_ to a boy who is unworthy of it. We are still married, or did you forget that we both have a duty to Ulrik."

"You- you…" Adriana spluttered, her eyes wide and staring. "Don't you dare pull that on me, Elijah Mikaelson. That may have worked on one of your laughably gullible mistresses, but you must be insane if you honestly think that's going to work on me. You know what, I don't want to even look at you anymore. Give _my_ son and get out."

"Maybe that's why you turn all the people away Adriana, you're cute, but psycho." Elijah muttered lowly, still holding Ulrik who had began to stir.

"Not cute." Adriana hissed, her eyes changing for a brief second, black veins pulsing before her face returned to normal. "Just psycho."

"You used to be so good, what happened?"

"That was before you fucked me over." Adriana spat, her eyes darkening. "Give me Ulrik."

The boy in question, started to whimper against Elijahs shoulder.

"Not until you calm down."

"Calm down?" Adriana growled lowly. "No. You will give me Ulrik. Now. And that's when I will calm down." Almost reluctantly, Elijah handed her the baby, Ulrik glancing back at the deadly man with watery eyes and trembling lips. "Now, get out."

"One day, Adriana, I hope you'll forgive me for everything." Elijah stated, looking at her sadly.

"It'll be a cold day in the Underworld when that happens." Adriana snarled, pressing Ulrik closer to her when the boy began to sob.

"Adriana please-"

"Get out."

"You're upsetting-"

"Don't tell me how to-"

"Adriana-"

Using the hand that wasn't holding Ulrik, Adriana slapped Elijah across the face. Three bleeding diagonal lines running across his features for a second before the skin began to knit itself together and heal.

"Get out." Adriana whispered brokenly, her hand shaking violently as she let it fall back to her side. Her eyes trained on the floor and refusing to meet his questioning gaze. "Just- please. Go away."

"Adriana." Elijah whispered, his eyes widening. "What have I done?"

"Please..." Adriana said, her eyes still trained on the floor.

 _You're the Mother of Nightmares, Adriana, get a grip!_

Several seconds ticked by, and when Elijah still stood in front of her after a full minute, she snapped.

" _Prendi il cazzo fuori!_ " She screamed in her mother tongue, her head snapping up and glass eyes glaring at him coldly. Even though a single tear ran down her face. " _Fuori! Fuori!_ Get out!"

"Of course, Adriana." Elijah finally said, turning on the heel of his shoe and walking out of the penthouse with his shoulders tense and his hands curled into fists so their shaking wasn't noticeable.

Ulriks cries pierced through the air, but Elijah didn't turn around, and Adriana didn't stop glaring at his back.

" _Bambino. Bambino…"_ Adriana cooed softly, watching the door close shut behind Elijah. "It's going to be okay. Mama's going to make everything okay…"

Halfway down the street, Elijah glanced back up to the penthouse, able to clearly see Adriana pacing in front of the large window, a still crying Ulrik in her hands. He could see her red stained mouth move to whisper words of comfort to the crying child.

Standing there in the dark street, Elijah felt one emotion he hadn't truly felt in a very long time.

Regret.


	36. DJ Got Us Falling In Love Again

**AN: Hah! All your reactions to last chapter made me laugh. _Yes, feel the hate!_ Now you know how Adriana felt for about 500 years. Okay, so my love for music and spontaneity comes out in this chapter. Yeah, I'm really not sorry. Enjoy!**

 **Songs used in this chapter:** **Lay All Your Love On Me- ABBA,** **Detroit Rock City- KISS** **,** **DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love- Usher. All songs belong to their respective owners and I take no credit for them.**

* * *

 **DJ Got Us Falling In Love Again**

* * *

 **In which Tayte is so done with everyones (namely Adrianas) bullshit, and throws a two person party**

* * *

"Get up."

No movement.

"For the love of everything holy Adriana, get up."

Still no movement.

Sighing deeply, Tayte ran a hand through his hair and glared at the ceiling. Adriana lay curled in a ball, her back against the wooden wall and her eyes wide and almost vacant as she kept muttering under her breath. Tayte flickered his blue eyes from her and then back to the ceiling, his lips pulled down into a deep frown as he thought. Davina was away with friends, Ulrik was on a play date, there was no one else in the apartment apart from them.

"We should've never been allowed to adopt." Adriana kept muttering under her breath. "We're the most messed up guardians there ever was. This was a mistake, I should take him back."

"Alright." Tayte finally stated, throwing his hands up in defeat. Tayte gently lowered himself to his knees, coming about the same level as Adriana. "Look Adriana, I don't know what's running through your psycho little head right now. I won't pretend I ever do. But, seriously? Hiding in the corner like a little girl? Come on. You're better than that. Mother of Nightmares. Psychotic Maid. The Queen Of New Orleans? You're better than this."

"I'm really not." Adriana murmured, picking at her nails. "I just wanted a child to love again, and Elijah had to throw it all in my face. As well as insult single parents everywhere. Bastard."

"Oh, to hell with what Elijah says." Tayte snapped, leaning forward and staring back at Adriana. "Haven't you ever done anything without Elijahs approval? You're like a tame housewife. No. A tame handbag dog!"

"Excuse me." Adriana snapped back. Her head shooting up and eyes narrowing. "Did you just call me a dog? I'm not a dog. I did lots of things without Elijahs approval. I burned cities, I created an entire army. I could rip out your hear right now, and make your mother use your fresh blood as lipstick. Who the hell do you think your calling a _dog_?"

"The woman who backs down like a pathetic child once she gets a slap on the wrist." Tayte spat, his own eyes narrowing as Adriana hissed at him. "So what if he has regrets? That's the least he deserves. Yeah, you've done bad things Adriana, but everything you've done can be traced back to Elijah. Yeah, you're a bit of a bitch, but everything you've ever done was to protect you loved ones. So stop this behaviour and _get up._ "

"Ulrik…" Adriana began, trailing off with wide eyes.

"At a play date because he doesn't deserve to see him mother contemplating giving him up." Tayte scoffed, rolling his eyes slightly. "Come on." Tayte straightened up, grabbing Adrianas hand and dragging her up with him. "You need a drink."

"Vampires can't get drunk, _idiota,_ and no one drinks for the wonderful taste of it." Adriana huffed, letting Tayte drag her to the kitchen island. "They drink because they think they can find the answer to their problems at the bottom of a glass."

"There's a first time for everything." Tayte smirked at her, shoving a shot glass into her hand.

"Is this _vodka_?" Adriana asked, wrinkling her noise at the glass. "Tayte… do you have any class? Taste?"

"88.8% alcohol…" He nodded thoughtfully, reading the back of the bottle. "I may or may not have stolen it from the back of a bar with the handy usage of vampiric speed. So, the answer to your question, _no._ "

"Stole it? 88.8%? Tayte! We have a baby in the house!"

"One, he's not here right now. Two, it's on the top shelf."

"Tayte!"

"Adriana!" He mocked, pouring his own glass and gesturing to Adriana. "Cheers, _Kronidiot._ "

" _Bastardo di dio._ " Adriana insulted back, knocking back her shot whole and not even flinching. "I've had wine that's stronger than this stuff."

"Did you add ethanol to that wine?" Tayte smiled pouring her another shot and raising an eyebrow when she knocked that one back too.

"Maybe. Maybe not." She shrugged nonchalantly, holding out her glass to be filled once more, raising an eyebrow expectingly at him. "That was nothing, I put arsenic in Elijah's glass once. I mixed it all with vervain as well. After he burnt the entirety of his mouth, he had an innocent little human take the glass and the human died of arsenic poisoning. It was beautiful. His expression is forever engraved in my happiest memories."

"I like this version of you better than the one curling in the corner."

"Most people do, honey. Most people do."

"I can see why."

"Are you trying to say something?"

"Maybe. Maybe not."

"Do you want me to rip your tongue out?"

"What happens if I say yes?"

"Then I'll rip your tongue out, and send it packaged to your mother." Adriana stated, a sickly sweet smile plastered on her face. "I'll even put a lovely little blue ribbon on it, I'm feeling nice today."

"What is it with you and threats involving mothers today?" Tayte muttered to himself, knocking back another shot. "You trying to beat the world record or something?"

"I'll beat your teeth out if you keep talking to me like that." Adriana growled.

"Wow, drunk and upset Adriana is a violent Adriana." Tayte scoffed, holding the bottle out of her reach as she went to snatch it.

"I'm a vampire." Adriana snapped at him, pouting slightly. "I can't get drunk."

"First time for everything. How many shots have you had?" He smirked and only raised the bottle higher when she tried to jum and get it. "Got to be over thirty. A human would be dying of alcohol poisoning by now."

"Turn on the radio, you freakishly tall giant." She only scoffed, falling back into the stool and crossing her arms.

"Not my fault your tiny." Tayte shrugged, sidestepping the butter knife that was thrown at him. "Now, now. No need to be self conscious."

"I'm not short. You know Tayte, if you were anyone else…"

"You'd rip out my heart. Yeah, we get it."

He dodged the fork that was aimed for his eyes, switching on the radio and grinning as the song playing filled the penthouse..

 _'~I wasn't jealous before we met  
Now everyone that I see is a potential threat  
And I'm possessive, it isn't nice  
You've heard me saying that smoking was my only vice~'_

 _"_ Come on Adri," Tayte smiled, gently tugging Adriana up from the stool.

"What are you doing?" Adriana frowned, her eyebrows furrowing slightly.

"We're gonna dance!"

"If anyone's drunk out of us two. It's you."

 _'~Don't go wasting your emotion  
Lay all your love on me...~'_

Adriana let a laugh escape her as Tayte sang along to the chorus, her eyes significantly brighter than before. Letting him drag her to a more open space, the radio still loud and clear. Tayte spun her around, and hummed along to the song as it went ballroom stepping her around in circles.

The song slowly faded off, a guitar rift filling the room, Adriana grinning excitedly.

"Never took you for a rock girl." Tayte chuckled, watching the woman bounce up and down in her hands. Laughing, and joining in on the chorus with her.

 _'~Get up  
Everybody's going move their feet  
Get down  
Everybody's going leave their seat  
You gotta lose your mind in Detroit Rock City~'_

Clapping her hands and nodding her head to the rest of the song, Adriana giggled lightly at Taytes air guitar and drums.

Much like the last song, the drums and guitar slowly tapered as the next song started playing. A more electro and slow beat filling the penthouse, the heavy base kicking in and Tayte grabbing Adrianas hands and spinning them both around, bouncing to the slow beat of the song.

 _'~Ain't I seen you before?  
I think I remember those  
Eyes, eyes, eyes  
Eyes, eye-eyes~'_

Adriana fell against Tayte with a soft smile on her face, looking up at him with bright, and dark brown eyes. Taytes cold, and deadly blue ones gazed back at her, softened in the low light.

 _'~'Cause baby, tonight  
The DJ got us falling in love again  
Yeah, baby  
Tonight, the DJ got us falling in love again  
So dance, dance like it's the last, last night  
Of your life, life~'_

Tayte spun Adriana around, smiling at her ringing laughter.

 _'~I swear I remember those eyes~'_

Adriana wasn't a woman who was usually romanced, she was cunning, ambitious and determined. She thread everyone around her little finger and ripped them to shreds just because she was bored. People had tried to manipulate her, but they had always met her sharp teeth and sadistic personality.

So, Adriana really wasn't sure what surprised her more.

The fact Tayte kissed her, or the fact she kissed back.

"See. I can do things without Elijahs approval." She whispered smugly against his lips.

"I'd rather not talk about that _drittsekk_ right now." Tayte growled against her soft ones.

"Marcel?" Davina asked softly, standing in the doorway of his apartment with tears in her eyes. Marcel looking up and immediately rushing forward.

"We just heard." Marcel said quickly, sympathy painted across his face at Davinas devastation. "Is Josh with you?"

"No." Davina answered brokenly. "When Jackson came to get Aiden's body, he just took off."

"D- D," Marcel stuttered, as if moving to say something and them deciding against it. Wrapping his arms around here and letting her sob in his arms. "I'm so sorry."

"Little light." A voice cried out, Adriana bursting into the apartment, eyes wide and phone in hand. "I got your text. I came here as fast as I could."

"She's not joking, _lille kattunge_." A ruffled looking Tayte sighed, gently closing the door behind him. Shushing a fidgeting Ulrik in his arm. "Now, _babyen_ , _kattunge_ had been hurt. And you will help me find the person who hurt her and avenge her. Aren't you, _babyen_?"

"It's fine Tayte." Davina smiled meekly, stepping out of Marcels hold and letting the tall male ruffle her hair affectionately. "I've got it sorted, but thanks anyway."

"You stink of sex and alcohol." Marcel whispered to Adriana as she came to stand next to him.

"Shut up before I rip your tongue out and staple it to your dick." Adriana whisper-hissed back. "Besides, I'm great in bed."

"I brought something for you." Davina finally spoke up, stepping towards Marcel and reaching into her purse. Pulling out a gold dagger that Adriana remembered her and Kol making, and handing it to him. Rebekah stepping forward to see the dagger and letting her mouth fall open in shock. Marcel looked stunned to see it as well, almost colliding with Rebekah as she rushed forward.

"Is that what I think it is?" Rebekah asked, staring at the dagger. Adriana and Tayte exchanging a confused look.

"We've missed out on drama." Adriana muttered to him, leaning against his side. "Unforgivable. We need to remedy this immediately."

"The dagger Kol and I made." Davina nodded in confirmation. "I want you to use it. I want you to put Klaus down."

"Drama. So much drama we haven't been involved in. Unforgivable. Treasonous."

Almost hesitantly, Marcel took the shining gold dagger from Davina. Squeeezing it in his hand and nodding back determinedly.

"So much drama…" Adriana trailed off, her eyes wide in horror. "Maybe it's got something to do with that Dahlia that Freya girlie mentioned."

"Maybe." Tayte whispered back in agreement. "We really should know these things."

"I should throw a ball, that always garuntees entertainment."

"We're not throwing a ball Adri."

"You're right, too much time, we need to get things exploding in everyone's faces now."

"Or," Tayte offered, turning to Adriana fully. "We could just sit on the sidelines, eat popcorn, and laugh while everything for everyone else goes to hell."

"I like that plan." Adriana nodded in agreement, pausing for a moment before narrowing her eyes. "Why do I feel like everyone around us just played into someone's hands?"

(Oh, Adriana Angelo Mafiay. A woman named Dahlia smirked somewhere in the city, her song starting to play all around the quarter. You have no idea.)

Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled ominously overhead. Adriana watched Rebekah and Davina with Vincent, inspecting the alter they had set up outside the lycée. Rebekah and Davina sat across from each other around the alter, preparing to unlink Eva's body from Davina's and all those other harvest girls. Rebekah finally finished lighting the candles, clearly nervous.

"All right, then." She nodded, fiddling with her hands. "Just a little bit of witchy business. How difficult can it be?"

Adriana let out a bark of laughter as she and Vincent walked forward, Davina smiling encouragingly at Rebekah.

"Now," Vincent started, "remember the hard part was Eva-" he crossed his index and middle finger to demonstrate, "- linking herself to the kids. And now, it's your body, so you just gotta-" he uncrossed his fingers "- do the unlinking yourself." With that, he gestured to the piece of paper that lay on the alter. "Read what I wrote, 'Abracadabra', link severed."

"Lovely." Rebekah nodded. "I guess I'm hoping I don't turn us all into a horde of bull frogs."

"Good luck girlies." Adriana said, her tone bright and optimistic.

" _Sai por ce kai sai ma nous couve gran_." Rebekah and Davina chanted, their hands held So their Rebekah could channel Davinas power. " _Sai por ce kai sai ma nous couve gran_."

"Okay, almost there." Vincent encouraged. "Keep going."

" _Sai por ce kai sai ma nous couve gran_." Rebekah continued by herself, everyone in the room watching her work carefully. " _Sai por ce kai sai ma nous couve gran_."

Suddenly, Rebekah and Davina's hands were magically thrown apart, Adriana stepping forward in worry. The girls were alright though, looking at each other before turning to Vincent in confusion.

"Is it finished?" Rebekah asked, worry and confusion clear in her voice.

"Only one way to find out." Vincent replied, pulling out a switchblade, flicking it open and offering it to her.

Slightly reluctantly, Rebekah took the bald and sliced her fingertip open with it. Afterwards, she looked up at Davina who smiled and held up her wound free finger and hand, clearly proud of Rebekah for successfully casting the spell. Relief flooded around the area, any tension from before disappearing. Adriana sighed in relief, ceasing to pick at her nails nervously.

"Isn't it Hayley who's trying to take his daughter?" Freya scoffed in

"Their daughter." Elijah corrected gruffly. Let's not forget that Dahlia is the true enemy here."

"How good, then, that I finished my spell." Freya smiled fakely. "The paint of his artwork, combined with my blood, will render Dahlia vulnerable. The moment she passes between these paintings- she will be mortal. You can kill her... using this."

"Father's knife?" Elijah asked, obviously surprised as he took the object in question..

"I thought it appropriate." Freya shrugged, smiling back at Rebekah.

"We have a visitor. Two in fact." Elijah said quietly, his brown eyes sharpening and the familiar scent of lavender and blood. He was the only one in the room who noticed the almost ominous click of heels that had been slowly coming closer to the compound.

"Alright darlings." A cheerful voice bounced off the walls, the sharp sound of heels reaching their ears as everyone turned towards the doorway. Their eyes widening in surprise, Elijahs jaw locking at the smell of sex that radiated off of her. "Do I actually want to be here? No. Not really. Would I much prefer snuggling with my beautiful baby boy? Yes. They grow so fast after all. Would I much prefer teaching Davina to master her poker face? Yes. Absolutely. Little light couldn't fool a blind man. However, due to some _unfortunate_ events that happened in this lovely little city, namely a cute _bambino_ getting his heart ripped out, it has come to my attention that plain old domesticity is boring, and I really love being involved in other people's drama. Don't worry dears, there's no need to fear, _I'm back to save you all from yourselves_." Stepping into the light of the courtyard, Adriana smiled sweetly. As if she hadn't just backhandedly insulted them all.

"Hello, Adriana." Elijah sighed, turning towards his technically-still wife. "You never where one to just let sleeping dogs lay."

"But, warrior," Her high voice was soaked in sarcasm as she grinned, "Where's the fun in that?"

Elijah sighed once more, rolling his eyes at her behaviour.

"Darlings." Adriana smirked, her eyes bright and full of mirth as she ran her hands through her straight, short hair. Brushing the grey material of her blouse and inspecting her blood red painted nails. "So, what's been happening?"

Everyone stared at her wordlessly, watching her like a hawk. No one moved. No one spoke.

"Oh, before I forget." Adriana blinked, ignoring the negative atmospheric, as she glanced over her shoulder and frowned. "Gia's by the entrance, I invited her in but she doesn't seem to like me very much."


	37. Some Things Never Change

**AN: *bangs head on table* Lots of long paragraphs in this chapter… Why do fights have to be so exhausting to write? Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Some Things Never Change**

* * *

 **In which Adriana spills her guts**

* * *

While Elijah went to talk to Gia, Adriana glanced around the courtyard, humming lowly under her breath.

"Rebekah, darling, who's this?" Adriana asked casually, her eyes falling on the two sisters.

"I'm not sticking around for this." Rebekah sighed, nodding to the brown haired woman as she left. "Her name is Freya, she's our long lost sister."

Rebekah left with a flourish, Adriana raising an eyebrow as she slowly turned to the other female.

"So, you were telling the truth." She stared casually, her sharp brown eyes landing on Freya. "Let's hope that's a character quality you can teach the rest of your siblings." She dissappesred from her spot near the entrance, the sharp click of heels signalling her reappearance centimetres away from the eldest Mikaelson sibling. "But, then again, miracles can only go so far."

Freya narrowed her eyes at the smaller woman, while Adrianas only became brighter with hidden humour.

"You said you wanted nothing to do with this family." The blonde said lowly, staring back at her.

"I've changed my mind." Adriana grinned, not at all phased by the look on Freya's face. "People tend to do that."

"Not people like you."

"You don't know anything about me."

"You'd be surprised."

Adriana laughed, the sound cold and short: "Was that a threat? Maybe stupidity is a genetic trait…"

"Adriana." Out of instinct, Adriana stepped away from Freya. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." She smiled coldly, her eyes meeting Elijahs. "How has your day been so far?"

"Lovely until you turned up." Elijah responded, the sarcasm not lost to Adriana as tension began to fill the area around them.

"People do tend to be left aghast by my presence." Adriana waved off, her smile becoming slightly strained.

"Aghast isn't exactly the word I'd use." Elijah countered, crossing his arms as he finally reached her. "You stink of that boy."

"Thank you."

"It wasn't a compliment."

"I know." The tension was so thick now that you could have cut it with a knife, Adrianas eyes narrowing while Elijah scrutinised her further. "Have you got anything else you wish to say?"

Elijah only hummed non-committingly, straightening up and shoving his hands into his pockets. "Welcome back Adriana."

"You act like I truly want to be here." She scoffed, dramatically rolling her eyes at him. "Please, the only reason your graced with my presence is because of pure boredom."

"Lying to yourself isn't a good habit, gypsy girl." Elijah said flippantly, walking around her and further into the courtyard.

"Lying to myself?" Adriana blinked, the tension disappearing with the small motion as she walked after him. "Lying to myself? Warrior, if anyone is lying to themselves here, it's you."

"What happened to _little_ warrior?" Elijah asked, stopping suddenly and turning around. Adriana bumping into his chest, going to step back only for his hands to keep her there. "I was rather attached to the nickname."

"Little warriors protect gypsies." Adriana said simply, staring back at Elijah. "Warriors do not."

Elijah tilted is head slightly in contemplation, something akin to guilt flickering in his eyes before he let her go.

"It must be a gift Adriana," He said finally, Adriana having stepped back the second her let her go. "That even a change of nickname can be used to cut people deeply."

"You have no right to act on your regret." Adriana snarled, a sneer forming on her lips.

"Perhaps." Elijah shrugged, turning away from her and walking away. "Or maybe you refuse to see anything past your point of view."

Adrianas only response was to throw a stone at him.

He dodged it.

Some things never did change.

On the other side of New Orleans, Tayte looked up at the sound of rapid footsteps.

"Where are you going?" He called out, pausing in between feeding Ulrik to stop Davina in her tracks. Raising his eyebrows at the stack of grimoires in her hands.

"Somewhere." The witch said vaguely, not looking at the male.

Humming lowly, Tayte turned back to Ulrik.

"You're responsible for your own life." He stated bluntly, though worry was still present on his voice. "You can feel your mothers wrath if you die. I know nothing."

"Of course." Davina nodded, leaving the penthouse quietly.

"Well Ulrik," Tayte finally sighed, putting down the plastic spoon and leaning forward in his elbows. "It's up to you and me to stay alive now Mamas gone." Ulrik laughed excitedly, clapping his hands together with a large grin on his face. "Well, you've definitely inherited Adrianas sadism, that's for sure."

 _When something terrible happens, part of the grieving process is to find someone to blame. We are all heroes, and everyone else is the villain. We all need to find someone to blame, to rid ourselves of our own guilt._

 _It's always someone else's fault._

 _Adriana could never point the finger at herself for causing some of the problems between her and Elijah._

 _"I loved you." Elijah growled at her from the opposite side of the table._

 _"Congratulations." Adriana growled back, her arms tied to the chair, skin blistering under the vervain soaked rope every time she struggled. "Get in line."_

 _"You called Mikael." Elijah continued to snarl, beginning to pace the length of the room. "You wanted to kill me!"_

 _"You're being especially slow today." Adriana sneered, clenching her fists and hissing at the ropes. "Let me go. Let me leave this god forsaken household and you'll never hear from me again. No Adriana. No Mikael. No problems."_

 _"I loved you." Elijah growled once more, suddenly appearing in front of her. "And you betrayed me, you tried to kill my whole family."_

 _"As I said; congratulations." Adriana snarled, remaining motionless in the chair._

 _"Do you want me to become cruel, gypsy girl?" Elijah asked calmly, the once affectionate nickname snapped out coldly. "Because I can do just that. You're nothing more than a baby in vampire years, it's not too late to discipline you."_

 _Adriana fell silent, staring back at him darkly, the sneer on her face becoming more pronounced._

 _1215, Adriana alerted Mikael of the Mikaelsons residence._

 _She ended up calling Elijah up on his threat to discipline her, and Elijah bit back._

 _Now she looked back on it, Elijah never truly treated her the same after that._

Elijah, Adriana, Rebekah and Freya all gathered in the ballroom, Adriana watching Freya sprinkle herbs over a clay golem she was sure had come from Kols playhouse.

"Now, you're certain this will work?" Elijah asked, standing next to Adriana.

"Let's not toss around words like 'certain'." Rebekah stated nervously, Adrianas brown eyes flickering to her before going back to staring at the doll.

"Nonsense!" Freya said optimistically, still sprinkling herbs on the golem. "You grow more adept with magic each day, and this spell is flawless. Though, I might have preferred Elijah ask my permission before volunteering me as the bait."

"Yes," Elijah nodded, clearly amused. "I'm not in the habit of asking permission."

Adriana snorted loudly at this. "You're not in the habit at asking for anything, warrior."

"Ignore Adriana," Elijah continued pleasantly, not even flinching when the petite woman slammed a heel onto his foot. "She remains slightly bitter from past events."

"No matter." Freya smiled. "We have all that we need. Rebekah will perform the spell, using my heartbeat and the golem to craft the illusion of Hope's presence." With this she turned to Elijah. "Once Dahlia is lured into the killing ground, you will do what is necessary." Finally, she turned to Adriana. "You will help Elijah, and be the second distraction, Dahlia won't expect you to help us and will not be prepared for your presence."

"You're rather calm, which is odd, because there are a million ways this plan can fall to pieces." Rebekah stated.

Freya sighed, beginning to pace around the room. Examining the carefully painted portraits that hung upon the walls of the ballroom. Glancing at the painting of Elijah and Adriana and comparing to the two stoic figure that stood near here, before standing in front of Klaus' portrait.

"I admit..." She trailed of hesitantly. "First, I was upset when Elijah ignored my plan in favor of his own. You are all sodetermined to protect Hope at all cost. Perhaps I'm envious- no one ever fought so hard to protect me." Sje stopped staring at the portrait, and turned to Elijah. "Then, I recalled what I saw when I looked inside your mind. The day you all swore an oath to stand by one another- always and forever. The day you realised you loved a woman so much that you resented her, your vow to forever take care of her. No matter what. There's strength in such vows."

"I can assure you," Elijah said, glancing at a silent Adriana before turning towards his oldest sister, "it has not been free of consequence."

"That is an understatement." Rebekah scoffed. "Ask me, that vow has been more trouble than it's worth."

"And yet, here you are- proving my point." Freya said, walking over to Rebekah and squeezing her hands encouragingly. "Family and love defines you, even if it demands sacrifice. My entire life, I have longed for what you have. It is better to at least glimpse it, facing death, than run forever and know nothing of family."

"I take back what I said." Adriana said softly, all eyes turning to her in surprise. "You're not that bad after all."

Freya smiled back at her softly.

"You too, Adriana. You too."

Adriana crouched next to Elijah, both of them waiting in the shadows of the courtyard. Both of them watching carefully as Dahlia stepped closer to Freya and the fake Hope.

"You surprise me." Dahlia said, still not having made it into the killing ground. "Betraying the family you meant to coax to your side? How very ruthless of you."

"I had hoped that they would welcome me as a sister." Freya stated anxiously, Dahlia only nodding in understanding. "I was wrong."

"Of course you were, you poor little fool!" Dahlia exclaimed, feigning sympathy. "To think that Esther's wicked little progeny could ever care for you? They are known the world over for obscene acts of violence, and yet, you sought them out instead of staying where you belong. With me." Freya gulped nervously, as Dahlia continued to slowly walked towards her, trying to remain still as Dahlia had still not passed the portraits. "I offered to protect you for all time, and you left me. And now, it is you who is alone! But then- Who could love a deceitful little wretch?"

"Oh, no…" Adriana whispered quietly, as Dahlia stopped just outside the killing ground, not crossing past the front edge of the painting. The enchanted golem crumbled to dust in Freya's arms reveling to Dahlia that the whole scene was a trap, the old witches face quickly becoming enraged. Freya looked at the other woman with wide eyes full of fear, gasping for breath and obviously terrified.

"What have you done?" Dahlia asked, appalled.

Realising she was all out of options, Freya grabbed onto Dahlia and pulled her past the portraits and into the killing field.

"Elijah, now!" Freya bellowed out. Too shocked to move, Adriana watched Elijah vamp-speed into the courtyard with Mikael's knife in hand. Before he could reach Dahlia, Klais tackled him and forced him to drop the blade.

"And so the wheel of betrayal circles 'round once more." Klaus snarled furiously, pulling Elijah to his feet and throwing him against the wall, causing Elijah to crack the wall.

"You treacherous little shrew!" Dahlia sneered, both her and Freya stumbling to her feet. Using her telekinesis Dahlia threw Freya across the courtyard.

"Not today, crazy lady." Adriana snarled, dragging Dahlia further away from Freya, the blonde female landing near the entrance hall.

"What-" Dahlia blinked in confusion, staring into the dark eyes of Adriana Mafiay.

"Hi." Adriana smirked, interrupting the powerful witch. "Adriana Mafiay, I heard I'm your favourite."

Using Dahlias momentary confusion to her advantage, Adriana kicked her to the floor. Only to shrink back, and fall to her own knees when every blood vessel in her body seemed to burst at the same time. Gasping for breath and refusing to scream, Adriana threw Dahlia a dirty look when the witch rose to her feet.

"It's a shame Ms. Mikaelson." Dahlia snarled, forcing Adriana fully to the floor. "You reminded me of myself, but it appears I was wrong. Maybe after this is done, I'll pay your own children a visit."

"My names _Mafiay._ " Adriana managed to snarl back in between her gasps of pain. "Not Mikaelson."

Dahlia only walked away, starting to advance on Freya. Adriana watched helpless as Klaus jumped up to the balcony Elijah had landed on and picked up his older brother into a chokehold and pushing him so he was half dangling over the balcony.

"She's controlling you." Adriana could hear Elijah rasp out. "You have to fight her."

"The only thing she did is pull out the dagger you stuck in my heart!" Klaus snapped back furiously.

Elijah broke free of Klaus' grip, elbowing him in the face and following it up with a punch to the jaw. Klaus, quickly losing his temper after being shoved against the wall, threw Elijah backwards. Scrunching her eyebrows together, Adriana shakily rose to her feet. Her whole body trembling as she forced herself to stand up straight despite the pain that thrummed through her body. In front of her, Freya was desperately crawling backwards away from a furious Dahlia as the woman approached her. Stepping forward, the whole room spun around Adrianaas she tried to take a step forward, forcing her to her knees once more.

"After all I've given you, this is how you repay me?" Dahlia snarled at Freya, continuing to advance on her niece. "A death trap? Rendered by those elements that compose my sole weakness? And even in this, you fail. What do I sense? Sacred soil? Viking ash? The blood of a witch I loved?" Freya once again tried to crawl away, but stopped when Dahlia crouched in front of her and looked her in the eyes. "Not the witch I loved most, though." Dahlia sighed, once more feigning sympathy as she propped her chin on her hand. "Oh, Freya. Did you think that your blood was the key to my demise?"

"I only wanted to be free." Freya gasped out tears filling her eyes.

"You pathetic girl." Dahlia sighed, rising to her feet. Freya beginning to whimper in fear. "How shall I punish you? Oh, I know- I'll send you to bed early."

Growling, Adriana stumbled to her feet once more. Dahlia knocking Freya unconscious before she could fully reach them.

"Alright, crazy lady." She snarled, roundhouse kicking Dahlia in the stomach, knocking the woman backwards. "Now you're starting to annoy me. Freya and I just started liking each other. It would be a shame if our newfound friendship ended suddenly."

"A parent must always punish their child accordingly." Dahlia smirked, regaining her balance. "You should know."

"Please." Adriana scoffed, digging her heels into the floor when Dahlia tried to use her telekinesis to throw her back. "A bit of advice, crazy-to-crazy, you don't know the first thing about being a parent. I should know."

Meanwhile, Klaus and Elijah were still viciously fighting each other on the courtyard's balcony, holding each other in a choke hold.

"She will take-" Elijah gasped out. "-everything from us."

"You took everything when you broke our vow!" Klaus snapped angrily. "Perhaps I'll take something from you."

Elijah screamed in agony as Klais twisted his arm backwards, the sound of multiple broken bones reaching Adrianas ears as she was thrown backwards by Dahlias magic. Klaus spun Elijah around and pinned his face to the balcony railing so he's forced to watch the scene that was about to happen.

"Elijah?" Gia called out as she entered the courtyard, clearly terrified and compelled to stay there.

"Oh, no…" Adriana groaned kicking at Dahlia while the woman used her magic to keep her in place. "Elijah! Elijah, he's going to kill her!"

Adriana may not like Elijah or his multiple mistresses but she wasn't as cold hearted as everyone seemed to think.

"Gia, be a sweetheart and take off your daylight ring?" Klaus asked politely.

"No!" Elijah screamed, struggling against Klaus' grip.

"I can't stop myself..." Gia trailed off, starting to pull the ring off of her finger as Elijah still screamed in protest. The ring dropped to the floor, Adriana looking away from the scene as Gias screams filled the courtyard. Her burning

"You seem vexed, brother." Klaus smirked almost gleefully. "Wait until you see what I've got in store for little Adriana."

Elijah, too enraged for words, elbowed Klaus and the two began fighting again. Only this time more viciously than before. Elijah tackled Klaus, the two of them tumbling down the stairs and into the courtyard, Klaus immediately getting to his feet. Adriana knocking Dahlia away, moving to help Elijah, only to be forced to her knees once more, the older witch concentrating on her with her arm slightly outstretched. Elijah immediately got into a defensive position, black veins appearing around his eyes as he bared his fangs at Klaus.

"Is that a hint of the fabled beast behind the red door? Coming out only to defend its favourite." Klaus chuckled, Elijah continuing to glare at him. "Come on, brother- let him out to play." Elijah leaped forward, punching Klaus in the head. Klaus easily spinning and wrapping an arm around him, quickly stabbing Papa Tunde's blade into Elijahs chest before he can react. "You should know better than to fight me in anger, for my anger is unending."

"No!" Adriana screamed, the word leaving her mouth before she could control it.

Elijah tried to break free from Klais' grip, only to be overwhelmed by agony as the blade magically embedded itself into his chest. The Original left screaming in agony.

"Klaus!" Cami screamed, horrified at the sight before her as she entered the courtyard. The male in question giving her an annoyed look and dropping Elijahs body.

"Elijah!" Adriana shouted her eyes widening in horror as the blade sank into her makers chest, her worried eyes meeting Cami's from across the room before turning back to the Original "You idiot!"

"Look at that." Dahlia smirked, seeing Adriana run forward, moving to dig the blade out of Elijahs chest. The female vampires hands still trembling violently from the torturous use of magic on her body. "Some things never do change. You were my favourite Ms. Mikaelson, and that's the only reason I'm leaving you alive."

With a simple flick of Dahlia's wrist, Adriana neck shifted to an awkward and the small female fell forward. Her body landing heavily next to Elijahs.

"Adriana." The concerned voice filled her eyes, Adriana moaning lowly. "Adriana!"

The last piece of her shattered neck clicked back into place, the female shooting up into a sitting position with a strangled gasp. Blinking rapidly as her eyes regained focus, brown eyes finally seeing a concerned Cami crouched in front of her, Mikaels knife in her hands.

"You're not planning to kill me with that are you?" She asked, eyeing the knife carefully. Cami's relieved laugh filled the courtyard, both of their eyes turning to the incapacitated Elijah. "How about we just leave him like this?"

"Adriana." Cami scolded playfully, though worry still shone in her eyes. "We have to help him."

"Correction, _you_ have to help him."

"Adriana, you're seriously not tempted to just leave him here in agony?"

"But I am…"

"This probably isn't the right time," Cami started, kneeling down next to the writhing Elijah. Grimacing for a moment before forcefully stabbing the knife into his chest. "But why do you hate each other so much?"

"We…" Adriana trailed off for a moment, watching Cami slowly slice his chest open. "We don't exactly have the best relationship. We've each messed up too much to trust each other again."

"Right, Elijah I can sort of believe, with all those lovers" Cami nodded, continuing to slice into Elijahs chest. "But what did you do?"

"I was a brat of a newborn." Adriana admitted, having no idea why she was suddenly spilling her guts to the blonde. "I got into fights, came close to death too many times, called Mikael. I did anything I knew that would keep Elijahs attention on me."

"You were worried he would leave you." Cami realised, starting to see the edge of Papa Tunde's blade. "So you made sure his attention never left you. You were worried no one else would love you."

"Yeah." Adriana nodded, coughing awkwardly. "By the time I realised I didn't need all of his attention, it was far too late. Elijahs red door had convinced him that I couldn't do anything without him, that I needed to be kept by his side. At whatever cost. The tables turned, and Elijah made sure he always had my attention. That's why I forced myself away from him, because what we were wasn't healthy."

"Have you ever considered that's why he takes so many mistresses?" Cami asked, frowning when she couldn't go any further into Elijahs chest. "Because it keeps your attention?"

Adriana was silent, quietly reaching forward and ripping the rest of the way into Elijahs chest with her nails, pulling out the blade from his chest. After a moment, Elijah recovered enough to jerk into a sitting position, Cami helping him up.

"Elijah?" Cami asked, the male gasping in shock and pain. "Elijah, you have to listen to me. He got in my head, he spoke to me. This, all of this, it's a trick!"

"What?" Adriana asked, her head snapping to the blonde.

"You've lost your mind." Elijah panted, still recovering from the blade. "He's lost his mind."

"It wouldn't be anything new." Adriana commented, sitting down with her legs crossed.

"He needs her to trust him, so he can do what he needs to do." Cami continued. "He had to make it look convincing."

"What?" Elijah asked, clearly baffled. "To... to... to what possible end?"

"Elijah." Adriana said, her voice soft. "Calm down. Take a deep breath."

Elijah did as she said, breathing heavily.

"He told me her secret." Camp started once more. "I know how we can kill Dahlia."

"Lovely." Adriana said sarcastically, laying down on the floor with her eyes closed. Exhaustion finally catching up to her. "You can go kill the crazy lady and I'll just stay here, guarding the compound."

Well, at least she wasn't bored anymore.


	38. The Mafiay Family

**AN: *blinks in confusion and looks around* Why does everyone think Adrianas gonna be crawling back to Elijah? Did I say that? I don't think I said that… Okay there may have been some _implications_ that might happen but seriously? You guys are making a mountain out of a mole hill... Anyway, ****Enjoy!**

* * *

 **The Mafiay Family**

* * *

 **In which there is always another chapter to be told**

* * *

Adriana stared coldly at the charred corpse of Gia, her chipped painted nails thrumming on the chair she sat on. Her head tilted in contemplation as Elijah covered the body with a sheet. Cami's hand where still smeared with blood from trying to pull Papa Tunde's blade out of Elijahs chest, a cup full of Elijahs blood in her hands. Drinking it to heal after Klaus had attacked and fed from her, grimacing slightly at the taste as she swallowed it.

"So, now that you have healed, what do you mean, Niklaus had a plan?" Elijah's voice rose to a shout, clearly angry at the ordeal. Adriana watching him silently from where she sat next to Cami, worriedly glancing at the nervously shifting blonde. "We had a plan! A plan he has mercilessly destroyed-"

"Elijah!" Adrianas clear voice echoed around the courtyard of the Mikaelson Compound, all eyes turning to where she sat calmly. Staring back at Elijah. "Enough. You're scaring her."

"Your plan wouldn't have worked, Elijah." Camille explained, realising Adriana had gestured for her to explain. "When Klaus got into my head, he said your plan would fail, so he had to enact one of his own."

"And what might that be?" Elijah glared at her, equally stunned and frustrated by the revelation.

"He has to get her to link to him." Cami stated, the lifting of Adriana's head indicating the blonde had the petite vampires full attention.

"My brother wishes to bind himself to our enemy?" Elijah asked, not believing what Cami was telling them. "She'll be virtually indestructible."

"He said I had to convince you that everything he had to do, he had to do alone." Cami continued to explain. "You had the wrong ingredients to kill Dahlia, and he has to buy time before he finds the right ones."

"How?" Elijah asked, confusion clear in his face. Sitting on the edge of the fountain, Elijah stared at Gia's sheet covered, Cami standing up and looking at him sympathetically.

"I am sorry about your friend." She finally said after a few minutes of silence.

"Are you?" Elijah asked sceptically.

"I don't condone Klaus' actions." Camp confirmed, worry appearing on Adrianas features as she too stood up. "I'm trying to help you. All I know is Klaus will do whatever he has to do-"

Before Adriana could warn her, Elijah lost his temper at the human.

"Klaus will do whatever he does for _Klaus_." Elijah bellowed our, interrupting her.

"Elijah." Adriana said softly, staying in her spot with her body relaxed. Having been in situations like this a thousand times before.

"Now Hayley isn't answering her phone." Elijah continued to rant, the worry on Adriana's face increasing as he held up his phone.

"Warrior." Adriana tried to placate stepping forward as Elijah stalked towards Cami, overwhelmed with anger. "Warrior, she's just human. You'll break her."

"Now, what has he done?" Elijah continued to shout, ignoring Adriana and glaring at Camille.

Out of all options, Adriana took a deep breath in and set her jaw. Disliking that emotional manipulation was her only option. Throwing herself around Elijah, Adriana forced herself to cry quietly into his shirt.

His reaction was almost immediate.

Elijah immediately returned her hug, burying his face into her hair and inhaling her lavender scent. Purring softly, his anger seemingly forgotten, Elijah began to whisper into her hair.

"Who has hurt you gypsy girl? Who has made my goddess of red cry? I will destroy them. I promise you."

 _Hypocrite_ Adriana so desperately wanted to spit in his face.

Once Elijahs anger had seemingly melted into worry for her safety, Adriana ripped herself away from him. Thanking her superb acting skills for her ability to fake cry.

"That wasn't very nice, gypsy girl." Elijah frowned, finally realising what she had done.

"I'm not a very nice person." Adriana waved off, stepping away from him.

"Don't blame the messenger." Rebekah said sheepishly, her and Marcel joining the three of them by the fountain.

"Well, would you look at that." Adriana purred, tilting her head at the appearance of Rebekah in her original body.

"Rebekah?" Elijah asked, confused.

"Looks like Niklaus had a lot on his to-do list last night." Rebekah shrugged, glancing over at Marcel sadly before turning back to Elijah. Hesitating. "And, as for Hayley..."

"What is it?"

"When Klaus attacked me," Marcel spoke up, sighing heavily. "He stole the spell that I used on the Crescent wolves..."

"So he would condemn her to the body of a beast?" Elijah snarled out, his anger slowly returning.

"Guess there is such a thing as karma." Adriana couldn't help but smirk, raising an eyebrow when Elijahs annoyed eyes turned to her. "Oh, did I say that out loud? Whoops."

"Elijah." Rebekah stated, turning Elijahs attention to her as she rushed forward and grasped his shoulder so she could look him in the eye. "Hayley will be human once a month. We will find her and we will help her."

"No-" Elijah said, shaking his head and trying to push Rebekah away

"We need to focus on who needs saving today." Rebekah said gently. Looking at her brother sadly, hating the statement as much as he did. "Freya called- Dahlia is... incapacitated. They are two hours north at an orchard near Pale River. She has Hope."

Before Rebekah could continue, Elijah had vamp-sped out of the courtyard.

"And the duty of babysitter fall to me." Adriana sighed, meeting Rebekah's pleading eyes and rotating her neck. "I'll make sure no one dies."

With that, Adriana disappeared from the compound.

Stumbling onto the scene seconds after Elijah, Adriana rotated her limbs with a scowl.

"If you were human." She sneered at Elijah, walking to stand next to him. "I'd be worried you'd drop dead from exhaustion in a few seconds. _Christo_ , I'm a vampire and I think I'm going to collapse any second."

"Well, my adage holds-" Freya laughed, finding the humour in Adrianas annoyance. "Nothing good ever happens in a clearing in the woods."

"Nothing good ever happens where my brother is concerned." Elijahs scoffed. Watching Adriana accept Hope from Freya, the small baby stopping crying at the appearance of Adriana's motherly smile. Elijahs face softened at the sight. "With one exception."

"Hello bambina." Adriana giggled softly, bouncing the sniffing Hope in her arms. "I'm sorry I've been gone for so long. You probably don't remember me, I'm Adri."

Stepping closer to them, Elijah rubbed Hope's back soothingly. Adriana cooeing as the girl whimpered and rubbed her eyes with her small hands.

"How is she?" Elijah asked.

"She's a Mikaelson." Freya stated calmly, glancing back at Klais and Dahlia's bodies. "She's resilient. When I woke, they were like this. Rebekah tells me Klaus has a plan to kill Dahlia, that he knew our plan would not work?"

"Yes." Elijah confirmed. "According to him, our ingredients were incorrect. Niklaus infiltrated Dahlia's mind. You didn't break her heart. We needed the blood of the witch she loved the most, and you are not that witch- that honor goes to our beloved mother."

"So, we need Esther's blood?" Freya asked, sighing in frustration. "Well, that's impossible- I killed her."

"One incarnation." Elijah stated, not seeming upset by Freya's revelation. The older Mikaelson looking at her sibling in shock. "Our mother is buried in New Orleans. Niklaus wants us to revive the original body."

Back at the compound, Adriana knelt in front of a neutralised Dahlia and daggered Klaus. Marcel next to her, both of them carefully examining the bodies.

"Nik is demented." Rebekah spoke up. "Are we really to dig up our mother, burn her to ash, swap said ash with Kol's, and then trick Davina into using up her last chance to bring someone back from the dead? Not to mention we lose the opportunity to save Kol if Davina doesn't turn us inside out!"

"Or, we dig a deep hole and leave both our problems at the bottom of it." Elijah replied sarcastically.

"I say we choose a more permanent option- find the white oak stake, kill Klaus, Dahlia dies with him." Freya said, unhappily staring at Dahlia.

"Well, yeah, and so do I, and every other vampire that Klaus has turned." Marcel scoffed.

"And I'm sure that would be a _terrible_ thing for the world." Adriana stared sarcastically. "I like you Marcel, you're a good friend, but make a more convincing argument."

"The dagger! It's bloody melting!" Rebekah suddenly screamed, Adriana stepping back away from it and staring with wide eyes.

"We have no choice but to finish the task that Niklaus has set." Elijah sighed, all of the, watching as the daggers continued to melt.

When everyone but them had left the room, Elijah slowly turned to face a furious Adriana.

Adriana stared. Elijah stared back.

"No." She finally growled out, already knowing what he was going to ask of her. "No. No. No! I refuse!"

"Adriana…" Elijah tried to placate.

"No, Elijah." Adriana continued to growl. "You want me to deceive my daughter. No, I refuse. I won't let you."

"How else do you think this is going to end Adriana?" Elijah asked. "No, you wanted drama. You have it, now you can help us."

"You're asking me to betray my family." Adriana stated furiously. "Davina loved Kol, and you're ripping a chance of a happy ending away from her. I can't allow that. How would you react if I asked you to betray your family?"

"You have, and I did." Elijah reminded coldly, stepping in front of her when she tried to leave. "Adriana, please."

Throwing her hands up, Adriana turned away from him, her hands balling into fists as she stared at the floor angrily.

"You need to have Rebekah distract her." She finally whispered meekly, continuing to stare at the floor. "That's the only way she won't notice."

"Adriana." Elijah called, placing a hand on her shoulder before she could walk away. "Thank you. I know you couldn't do that lightly."

"Don't involve me in your stupid deceit plan." Adriana spat, stepping away from him, and walking further into the house. "My debt to you is paid."

Watching her go, Elijah shook his head, sighing lowly.

"There was never any debt." He muttered to himself, contemplation crossing his face for a second before he called out to her once more. "Adriana, one last thing…"

"What did you do?" Davina growled, stomping over to Rebekah when she entered. The blonde flinching slightly, reminding a little too much of Adriana when she looked Davina in the face.

"It wasn't Rebekah." Elijah said quietly, walking into the tomb with a pair of cursed shackles in his hand, Adriana quietly entering behind him. "It's rather a simple matter, actually."

"That was my only chance!" Davina exclaimed, tears of frustration filling her eyes. "That was Kol's only chance! Now I know why he hates you."

"Little light." Adriana said softly, wrapping her arms around Davina and stopping her from casting a spell on Elijah. "I'm sorry. I know you loved him. I'm so sorry."

"It's not you fault Mama." Davina sneered, glaring at Elijah over Adrianas shoulder. "It's his."

Kissing the top of her forehead, Adriana smiled warmly at her daughter.

"We'll get him back." She cooed, her hand slowly trailing towards her neck. "I promise. Just not today."

With a pained smile on her face, Adriana pushed two fingers against the pressure point on Davina's neck, her daughter quickly slumping in her arms. The second Davina fell unconscious in her arms, Adriana snapped her head towards Elijah. Her pupils expanding as his compulsion finally left her.

"I hate you." She spat, her eyes narrowing as she gently set down Davina. "I hate you. I hate you. I hate you!"

"Welcome back, Mother." Elijah stated, ignoring Adriana and slamming the cursed shackles onto Esther's wrists.

Sat in the back of the jazz club, Adriana watched Esther carefully.

"Let me guess," Esther finally spoke up, clearly amused. "You brought me back from the dead to torture me."

"My dear mother, we simply need your blood." Elijah said, rolling his eyes. "Though, in the event that you should suffer horribly, I can't promise I won't enjoy it immensely."

"Ah, Mother." Klaus smirked, entering the room. "I've arrived just in time for another one of your deaths, and as much as I appreciate the front-row seat, I'm afraid I'm going to have to postpone the festivities."

"You're in excellent spirits." Elijah growled lowly, stepping forward only to stop when Adriana stepped in between them.

"Now, now, children." Adriana said calmly, raising her hands to separate the two further. "Let's play nice with each other."

"Lucky for you, as I'm the one needed to save the day." Klaus only smiled, both of them blatantly ignoring Adriana but not advancing any further.

"Is that what it's called?" Elijah snarled, unamused.

"Why not? My plan's worked perfectly."

Becoming even more enraged, Elijah moved to lunge at him only for Adriana to stretch out her arms once more, pushing them away from each other.

"Honestly," Adriana muttered to herself. "Ulrik has more self control than this."

"Easy, Elijah-" Klaus smirked. "I can see your red door swinging wide open, but our job's not yet done."

"Don't provoke him." Adriana hissed, her head snapping to Klaus, staying between them. "The minute I step back, he's going to come charging at you. Don't make me want too."

"So, we kill her and be done with it." Elijah sighed, stepping away from Adriana and straightening his back.

"To be clear, I do want her blood, but I want it on this blade-" Klaus held up a large silver knife, Adriana stepping back when he started to walk closer to Esther "-Which I've had bound with the soil from Dahlia's homeland, not to mention Viking ash. Mother's demise will have to wait. You see, I need her to weaken Dahlia's defenses. Bit of psychological warfare before I slaughter the both of you."

"Ah, yes." Esther scoffed. "You expect me to walk willingly to my death."

"Well, your willing participation would have been a bonus, but it's far from necessary." Klaus grinned. "If needs be, I'll drag you there myself."

"Yes, dear Mother, you do not have a choice." Rebekah said, joining the group. "Then again, why should you be any different from the rest of us? We're all dancing puppets in Nik's end-of-days marionette show. He forces every move we make."

"And how long are you gonna stand there and pretend you don't need me to?" Klaus asked. "The both of you have fought me at every turn, leaving me no choice but to act alone! We're no strangers to disagreements on the battlefield, but we also have a very long history of doing whatever it takes to win the war."

"And what of Gia?" Elijah asked furiously. "Hayley?"

"Collateral damage." Klaus shrugged, his eyes flickering to where Adriana was watching from the shadows of the room. "Besides, you're one to preach nobility. What about your darling little Adriana?"

Adriana was fast, but Elijah was faster. Adriana was a second too late to stop Elijah from punching Klaus in the face. While she started to tug Elijah back, Klaus blinked, taking a moment to recover.

"You claim your actions are part of some ruse, this was punishment." Elijah spat, resisting Adrianas discouraging pulls and whispers.

"Punishment?" Klais asked, playing dumb. "Whatever for? Perhaps the dagger you put in my heart?"

"You brought that upon yourself!" Elijah said, his voice raising to a shout, allowing Adriana to pull him back from his brother. "No, we have fought together for centuries, and once again, to break your enemy, you broke your family. Well, know this- whatever the outcome tonight, you will no longer see me by your side. You want to be alone? Well, congratulations. You have your wish."

Finally letting go of him, Adriana watched as Elijah grabbed his Mother by the shackles and pulled her up.

"Come, Mother."

As Elijah left, Adriana's eyes flickered between Rebekah and Klaus.

"Never in my life," She finally spoke up, something indescribable coating her voice, "Have I been so disappointed in this family."

With her head held high, Adriana left the room, following Elijah. Her simple words somehow did more than Elijah's speech.

"Are you sure about this?" Adriana asked him, tilting her head to the side once Elijah joined her alone outside. "Your resent toward Klaus worries me."

"Don't tell me you're starting to care Adriana." Elijah smirked, his shoulders relaxed and his hands in his pockets. "Now you're starting to worry me."

"Don't act cocky." Adriana scoffed, rolling her eyes. "You die and I die remember? And I'm not really planning on kicking the bucket anytime soon."

"Go home Adriana." Elijah sighed. "Go back to Ulrik, go back to Tayte. This is not your fight."

"If anyone's starting to care between the two of us, Elijah." Adriana smirked, turning around and beginning to walk away. Her six inch heels clicking sharply against the tarmac. "I'd say it was you."

"Don't act cocky." Elijah echoed her, his voice loud and clear even as she disappeared into the crowd of people.

Her laughter and the tap of her heels was clear, even as she walked further away.

Gently closing the door behind her, Adriana softly walked into the penthouse.

"Hey Adri." A male voice spoke up, Tayte appearing with a large bowl of toffee popcorn resting on the kitchen counter. "Ulrik is refusing to sleep, so me and Davina are putting on a film and hoping he will eventually collapse of exhaustion. You in? You look tired, did everything go alright?" Letting a sad smile fall onto he face, Adriana ran into Tayte's arms, pressing her tan face into his chest. "Okay, you're smiling but this whole thing makes me think you're gonna cry. I'm only _me_ Adri, stop giving me mixed signals. I'm not good with multitasking."

Allowing a loud laugh to escape her lips, Adriana smiled when Tayte finally hugged her back.

"Davina told me what happened." Tayte whispered into her hair. "She understands, but she still hates that family with her very bones. I think she gets it from you."

"Heard my name." Davina's voice called out, the teenage witch looking over from browsing Tayte's large DVD collection. "Don't you have anything more appropriate Tayte? _Silence of the Lambs_ isn't exactly the best thing for a eight month old to watch so they go to sleep."

"Check the lower shelves." Tayte called back, Adriana stepping away from him and grabbing a handful of toffee popcorn. "I must have something we can compromise with."

Taking the popcorn bowl before Adriana could eat it all, Tayte set it in front of the television. The black curtains were drawn across the large windows, a lamp illuminating the whole space. While Tayte helped Davina, Adriana scooped up Ulrik form where he lay on his play blanket. The boy desperately trying to stay awake.

"What you doing up, _soldatino_?" Adriana cooed, Ulrik frowning deeply in protest. "You are supposed to be asleep, _no_? Don't give me that look, I'm not stupid."

His frown growing deeper, Adriana had to laugh at her sons expression.

 _No Mama_. He seemed to say. _I'm not tired, what would make you say such a silly thing?_

"See!" Taytes voice rose, Adriana glancing over to where Tayte and Davina were still searching through the shelves. "I have loads of classics."

"I've never even heard of half of these." Davina deadpanned, shooting Tayte a disgruntled look while Tayte stared at her in shock.

"You, _lille kattunge_ , have not been educated in the arts of good movies." Tayte whispered, his eyes wide in mock-horror, only to burst out laughing and expertly dodging the pillow Davina magically threw at him.

Settling into one of the beanbags dragged into the room, Adriana watched the two with amusement clear in her eyes as she buried her nose into Ulrik's blonde hair.

Their playful arguments about choosing a film slowly turned into arguments how one of them was hogging the popcorn, Ulrik slowly drifting of to sleep in her comforting arms a quarter of the way into the film. The lull of darkness and the comforting hum of noise around him slowly lulling his to sleep.

Smiling to herself, Adriana finally joined into Davina and Tayte's argument by reaching back and snatching the bowl from both of them quicker than the young could blink.

"W-what?" Tayte spluttered when the bowl suddenly disappeared from his hands.

" _Mama_!" Davina whined playfully, Adriana only smirking back at them.

"Mine now." She shrugged nonchalantly, shoving a handful into her mouth.

When she returned from putting Ulrik to bed, both the bowl and the rest of the popcorn had mysteriously disappeared. Not questioning it, Adriana collapsed next to Tayte, the male wrapping a comforting arm around her waist while she rested her head on his shoulders.

It wasn't much. There would still be bad days. There would be still fights and days she would just sit down in front of the floor to ceiling window and just watch the city move. There would be blood. There would be several issues she still had to address.

Gods help her when Ulrik grew up and starting questioning the levitating objects around his sister.

But, this was Adriana's family, the Mafiay clan. The Mafiay _family_.

They don't have any promises of _Always and Forever_ but they will turn out just as well, most likely even better.

Adriana would protect this feeling of belonging till her last breath.

 _"Once upon a time, there was a wolf king who fought a war for the most precious treasure in all the kingdom... his beautiful little princess. But, victory came at a price. Allies lost... New enemies made..."_

Walking quietly through the city late at night, Adriana stopped to stare up at the wind chimes that softly twinkled above her head. Smiling gently, she continued on her walk, staring mesmerised at the soft lights and music of the city.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself." A low voice commented, Adriana not showing any signs of her surprise.

"Freedom is always a nice thing." She smiled, not allowing Elijah's presence to dampen her good mood. "My daughter has decided to raise hell on your family."

"A shame." Elijah nodded, walking beside her. "Dahlia is defeated."

"How nice."

"So, in light of recent events, I've decided to fix some things that have long needed my full attention."

Stopping suddenly, Adriana stared at Elijah, who walked several more steps before realising she wasn't walking by him anymore.

"And?" Adriana asked hesitantly, the street filled with music and warm lights did nothing to help the freeze of panic gripping mercilessly onto her heart.

No. He couldn't take this away from her. He couldn't snatch it all back like he had done a thousand other things. She wouldn't let him.

"We are not good for each other." Elijah admitted, turning around to face her but not stepping any closer. "We have not been for over five hundred years."

"Are you only just realising this?" Adriana deadpanned, the soft smile disappearing from her face.

"Maybe." Elijah admitted, staring at his hands before lifting his head to look into her eyes.

"You being humble, who would've knew." Adriana smirked softly, laughter lighting her arms and melting away the cold grip on her heart. "Certainly not me."

"We need a new start." Elijah continued, standing straight and ignoring her comment. "A reset. We, and this city, will never survive if we continue the way we are going."

"I fail to see where this is going."

Tilting her head in curiosity, Adriana stood perfectly still as Elijah stepped forward and looked her in the eye.

"Hello, Adriana Mafiay." Elijah smiled, nervously holding out a hand. "My name is Elijah Mikaelson."

She didn't move. She ripped her eyes away from Elijahs and openly stared at the hand in shock. Her lips parted, and her brown eyes flickering between him and his hand.

It was only when Elijah hung his head and was about to retract his hand did Adriana move.

"Hello, Elijah Mikaelson." Adriana smiled back, hesitantly taking his hand and shaking it. "My name is Adriana Mafiay. I hope we can be friends."

For once in their lives, they were on equal footing.

They will never go back to the way it was once upon a time. They will never go back to the fairytale, the fights, the cheating, the screaming, and endless pain.

But, Adriana contemplates, they could be friends.

 _"And so, the wolf king stood alone. Happily ever after, it was not. But, sometimes, even the worst endings are not really endings at all. And, you should know, my littlest wolf, that even when all seems burnt to ash- in our story, there is always another chapter to be told."_


	39. Actress

**AN: Hi, a new season! Spoiler Alert that might explain the ending to this: the next chapter is called 'Mother of Nightmares'. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Actress**

* * *

 **In which Adrianas past comes back to haunt her**

* * *

" _My dear Rebekah,_

 _I hope this finds you well. I write to offer an update and ask for your advice. Our brothers remain at odds. Klaus will never apologize- not for the blood he's shed, nor the suffering Hayley continues to endure- and Elijah can never forgive him. Despite my efforts, we are a house divided._

 _Which is not to say I have no good news... Niklaus kept his word- Marcel controls the Quarter. There, he has founded a fight gym in the old St. Anne's Church where he tests the mettle of those who wish to join his vampire community. Elijah has begun joining him for sparring. I believe it helps him work through his anger... and he has much anger. Adriana accompanies him from time-to-time, she will never admit that she is worried. They're relationship remains complicated, but I think it is the only thing that stops Elijah from finding a white oak stake and stabbing it through our half-brother._

 _While Hope continues to flourish, it is clear she misses her mother. Though Niklaus remains the doting father, he has been of no help in finding a cure for Hayley's curse._

 _Despite my best efforts, I've yet to find the means to undo the spell placed on her and the Crescent wolves, and Hayley herself continues to struggle, unable to see her child except for one night a month during the full moon. And we're in no position to ask for outside help... Despite Adrianas presence in her life, Davina still refuses to help us._

 _Meanwhile, Niklaus has begun to see Camille for what he calls "their little chats." He claims a desire to amend his ways. In truth, he seems utterly free of remorse... which only drives Elijah further away. I wonder if you would write me with any advice you have on how to heal their fractured bond._

 _Until then, I remain your loving sister Freya."_

"Now, now, you look like someone just kicked your puppy." Tayte called out mockingly, Ulrik sitting on a playmat while Adriana continued to stare at the wall coldly.

"Open your mouth once more, and you'll find it detached from the rest of your skull." Adriana stated flatly, uncrossing and crossing her legs.

"Ouch. If I had feelings I would be hurt." Tayte said, leaning on the chair she was sat on. "You can't kill all of the elders in New Orleans Adri."

"Watch me."

" _Adriana_."

The woman in question only hummed non-committingly as a reply, he thin fingers thrumming lightly on the arm of the oak chair. Her brown eyes narrowed at the wall, her lips pursing while Tayte continued to watch her carefully.

"Are you sure you made the right decision?"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Being friends with him." Tayte answered, annoyance coating his normally calm voice. "You want to burn down his entire family, and yet you agree to be his friend of all things. What are you planning Adriana?"

"Don't worry darling." Adriana hummed, turning away from the wall and looking up at him. "I know what I'm doing."

" _Principessa_." Adriana cooed lightly, Hope giggling from where she sat on the grass in front of Adriana. "Aren't you just adorable?"

Glancing upwards, Adriana watched as Elijah continued to prepare his feast for the wolves. Meat, cheese, bread, salad, deserts and what looked like at least a dozen bottles of champagne lined the long table in preparation for the full moon. The rustle of leaves and footsteps coming closer made her scoop a giggling Hope into her protective arms. Watching the truck pull up, Adriana quietly stepped backwards, gently shushing Hope as an armed man stepped out of the vehicle and began walking towards them.

"Hell of a spot for a picnic." The man commented, glancing at Adriana before turning back to Elijah.

"Yes, if you can tolerate the mosquitoes, it's actually rather serene." Elijah waved off, offering a plate to the other male. "Finger sandwich?"

"Trouble is, you, and you're lovely little family, are trespassing." The man stated, Adriana hiding her scowl at his comment and perverted gaze. "This whole area is now property of Kingmaker Land Development. In two years, it's gonna be golf courses and condos."

"I take it you're not on the Board of Directors." Elijah commented, Adriana calmly analysing the two armed men that joined the first.

"Uh, my team and I are in... animal control." The man admitted. "There's been an influx of wild predators. My boss pays, uh, top dollar to wipe them out."

"How dreadful." Adriana commented, playing along with the male. Her eyes wide, as she hugged Hope closer to her chest with a panicked look on her face. "I hope you don't get hurt."

"Don't worry about it pretty lady." The Hunter smiled at her warmly, not even questioning as she gently set a Hope down in her stroller, passing her the toy wolf. "We're highly trained."

"Wild predators?" Elijah asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

"Wolves, if you could believe it." The hunter explained. "Killed a half dozen last night." Standing up from her crouch, Adriana slowly turned the stroller around, so that Hope was facing away from the scene. "And this baby can take a head clean off. Anyway, I'm gonna have to ask you to clear out ASAP."

Smiling sweetly, Adriana stepped forward, as Elijah grabbed the leader by the arm, twisting it so hard behind his back that even the humans could Her the bones snap painfully.

"Don't take this personally darling." Adriana whispered in one of the hunters ears, as she threw the gun away from him and kicked him in the stomach. Kicking his skull into the earth below them. "It's just business."

"Call off your men." Elijah compelled the first man. "You leave this place. You find another line of work. No more dead wolves."

"I'm just an independent contractor." The Hunter choked out. "There are other teams out there. I don't have the authority to-"

Obviously displeased, Elijah snapped the man's neck and dropped him to the ground.

"You didn't have to kill them." Adriana chastised. "Mines only got a bad case of amnesia."

"Now look who's being hypocritical.

Glancing behind her with narrowed eyes, Adriana continued to trudge through the woods alone. Scowling darkly as she nearly ripped over a stray branch.

"Go find Hayley, Adriana." She muttered darkly to herself. Mocking Elijah's words as she followed the wet dog stench further south into the bayou. "You're the best tracker I know Adriana. You're not allowed to kill her Adriana." Scoffing, Adriana jumped over a ditch, glancing at the fresh footprints in the mud. "Idiot. Gods know why I'm even friends with him."

Following the scent into the bushes, Adriana stopped in front of the unconscious wolf, inhaling sharply.

"Oh, you're Hayley alright." She sighed crouching in front of the hybrid. "Sorry about this darling, but right now, I like my daughter better than my ex-husband. What can I say? I'm just a woman scorned."

Standing upright, she reached into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out her found, pressing it to her ear when it started to ring. Davina picked up on the third chime.

"Little light." Adriana grinned, poking at the unconscious wolf with her heel. "Yeah, I've found her."

Hayley woke up with a startled scream.

"Please, stop with the screaming." A heavily accented voice called out, Adriana stepping out of the shadows with a grimace on her face. Davina appeared beside her, an unimpressed look on her face and a bundle of material in his arms.

"What the hell am I doing here?" Hayley asked them angrily. "Why am I trapped?"

"I used magic to draw you here, and to keep you a captive audience." Davina explained calmly, throwing the blanket at Hayley. "Mama helped me locate you in the bayou."

"I'm not just a pretty face." Adriana smirked, tilting her head as Hayley stood up, using the blanket to cover her front.

"Davina, I need to see my daughter." Hayley demanded, still furious.

"I'm sorry, but there's something I need you to do for me first." Davina answered, her face blank and her eyes cold.

"Adriana, surely you know how this feels…"

"I do." Adriana nodded, something akin to sadness quickly flickering through her eyes before it disappeared. "That is exactly why I'm doing this. Don't worry, I'm a good actress."

"Where is she?" Jackson asked angrily, Elijah spinning around to make eye contact with the naked male wolf.

"Is this a wrong time?" Adriana's voice called out, the blood covered female suddenly appearing next to Elijah. "Shall I come back later?"

"Did you find her?" Elijah asked her bluntly, passing her Hope.

"No." Adriana lied through her teeth. "The stench of dead wolf is messing up my senses."

"Where the hell is Hayley?" Jackson asked, Adriana glancing down at his seriously wounded leg.

"That doesn't look good."

"Take my blood." Elijah offered, placing a fidgeting Hope in her stroller while Adriana used a butter knife to pry out the bullet in Jackson's shoulder. The wolf hissing in pain.

"I'm good." Jackson stated, rolling his eyes as Adriana cleaned the wound with a damp handkerchief. "We need to find Hayley."

"There's no sign of her." Elijah only sighed. "I've seen the bodies."

"Hunters set up traps all over the Bayou." Jackson revealed. "Mowed us down with gunfire. Any wolf that wasn't taken out scattered. Elijah, how many bodies?" Elijah's silence revealed all Jackson wanted to know. "A trap wouldn't hold Hayley after she turned back. Nothing would stop her from seeing that little girl. Something's wrong."

Looking down and keeping her face blank, Adriana walked over to the stroller, Elijah narrowing his eyes at her as she passed him.

"Where are you going?" Jackson asked them.

"To take my niece home. Then, I'll continue the search. You stay here, you tend to your dead-"

"No!" Jackson cried, cutting Elijah off. "No. I got five hours 'til I'm a wolf again. Elijah, she's my wife."

"I thought I smelled swamp." Klais commented as they approached him on the balcony.

"Don't mock me." Adriana said flatly, crossing her arms and staring back at him.

"What'd you do with Hayley?" Jackson asked.

"Tell me what you know." Elijah demanded.

"Just, please, shut them both up." Adriana sighed.

"Has Jackson misplaced his bride?" Klaus smirked, walking towards them. "Come to think about it, I did read that global warming was affecting migration patterns. Try Georgia!"

"I just left the bodies of people I care about to rot in the woods because you left them defenseless against poachers." Jackson spat out angrily. "Like Kingmaker Land Development. Does that ring a bell? Yeah, the CEO is Lucien Castle. Elijah tells me you two go way back-"

"So, I will ask you once again- what do you know?" Elijah demanded, walking so he was face to face with Klaus.

"As it happens, I just came back from a romp with our good friend Lucien." Klais said. "You can find him in the penthouse of the gaudy new construction on Canal. And while you two are catching up, be sure to ask him about the prophetic vision he showed me of our family's spectacular downfall. You could use a good laugh."

"You stay here." Elijah said, pointing at Jackson. "Niklaus, Adriana, and I will deal with this."

"Actually, as long as Hayley's prowling about on two legs and unaccounted for, I'm staying with my daughter." Klaus corrected. "And, should I discover that this is yet another cock-eyed scheme for Hayley and you to abscond with her, the paltry remains of your beloved wolf pack will be sniffing at your entrails come morning."

"This doesn't frighten you, brother." Elijah stated, blocking his brothers way. "But, one day, your daughter will know exactly the kind of man that her father is. If anything should happen to Hayley, you mark my words- no one will have to take Hope from you. She will, without question, leave you of her own accord."

"Elijah!" Lucien greeted the male brightly, seeing the Original standing in his doorway. "What a glorious pleasure."

"I do apologize for the late hour." Elijah smiled sarcastically, Adriana silently stepping out from behind him.

"Oh, it's no matter!" Lucien continued brightly. "I've long been nostalgic for the days when vampires conducted business in the dark." His eyes finally fell on Adrianas small stature. "And you must be the lovely Adriana Mafiay, Elijah's rebellious wife! I've heard a lot of things about you in particular."

Keeping her face blank, Adriana silently regarded the older vampire. It was rare she had the chance to meet a vampire older than her, it was hard surviving this long. Stepping forward, she narrowed her eyes at the seemingly invisible barrier that stopped them from crossing the penthouse.

"It's a boundary spell." Lucien revealed. "No vampire from another sireline can enter without an invitation. "Given the circumstances, you know..."

"Lucien, I didn't come here to chin-wag." Elijah said, feigning politeness. "Your little corporation has been butchering wolves in the Bayou."

"It's population control." Lucien waved off. "There's viable land out there- viable, that is, once the sudden influx of mangy wildlife has been eliminated."

"I take it you are alluding to the Crescent Pack."

"Hayley Kenner, one of the Alphas, is missing." Elijah said, clearly unamused.

"The hybrid Nik knocked up?" Lucien asked, his eyes revealing his confusion as he turned to walk back into the appointment. "I'm surprised by your concern, Elijah. When your family left her to prowl the woods all these months, I just figured the tramp was persona non grata- fair game."

Elijah's lips lifted into a slight smile before he finally lost his temper, breaking the end of a table and throwing the broken leg at Lucien. Successfully impaling him in the neck, the other male groaning as he pulled it out.

Stepping to the side, Adriana narrowly missed a furious Jackson who lunged at Lucien, passing the barrier and biting into the vampires neck.

"Now, he asked you what your hunters did with my wife. Answers. Now." Jackson demanding, standing above Lucien.

"I'll have them inspect the roadkill in the morning." Lucien said, jumping to his feet at vampire speed.

"Jackson, your time is short." Elijah informed the transitioning wolf, Adriana stepping back from him warily. "You go to the compound. Fetch the chains from the carriage room."

"My darling Lucien- I'm quite happy to stand here and watch you die." Elijah smirked as Jackson left, Adriana crossing her arms next to him. "Or, you could invite us in. The choice is yours."

"My contacts will get back to me if they have any information about a wolf matching your description." Lucien scowled, having finally invited them in.

"You're going to need Niklaus' blood for that wound, just FYI. I'm sure he'll respond favorably once the mother of his child has been recovered." Elijah commentingly, staring at the motionless women in the charge with interest.

"Oh, feel free to have a drink. She's not dead just mouthy. I compelled her quiet." Lucien smiled, taking a gulp of alcohol and turning to Adriana. "Miss Mafiay, you are much lovelier than any of your portraits display."

"I'm still not certain on who you are." Adriana said, curiosity clear in her voice. "Is it true that you are older than me? It's rare I meet someone such as yourself."

"Ask me whatever you need, dark angel." Lucien smirked, the gentle look in Adrianas eyes falling.

"Don't call me that." She snapped, memories of Demetri flashing through her mind.

"You can spare us the counterfeit camaraderie." Elijah scoffed. "So, you say you're in conflict with those of my sireline. Am I to assume that the Lord Tristan de Martel is up to his usual tricks?"

"This is no quarrel, Elijah." Lucien countered. "We are on the brink of war! Tristan knows that if he kills Klaus, he will eliminate all his enemies."

"And, so wait- by this logic, am I to assume that I am your ultimate target?"

"If I kill you, then I trade all of the money, the women, the jets, for an eternity on the run from Nik and Rebekah." Lucien scoffed.

"Leave the city." Elijah smiled politely, though his tone was cold. "No one needs your protection. The white oak is destroyed. We cannot be killed." Elijah took the glass of scotch Adriana offered him. "Thank you Adriana."

"You're wrong. Talk to Nik. He's seen the prophecy. Visions of darkness surround your family. You are not immune to death, Elijah." Lucien stated darkly. "And you don't seem particularly fazed-"

"Well, I'm no stranger to death, young Lucien." Elijah stated, cutting him off and handing his drink back. "Or third-rate prophecies, for that matter."

"Bye-bye Lucifer." Adriana smiled sweetly following Elijah to the door.

"Gods most beautiful angel, with a hidden dark side." Lucien grinned. "I accept the nickname."

"Oh, darling, _no_." Adriana blinked cutely. "I've just forgotten your name."

"Lucien. You'll be screaming it soon enough."

"I've missed the part when I should start to actually care."

"Maybe immortality has finally soured you." Lucien said, standing as they both passed the doorway. "After all, you've abandoned your eternal efforts to save Nik's soul. What's left for the legendary Elijah Mikaelson if not that singular motivation?"

Shooting him another glare, Elijah practically dragged Adriana away from the apartment.

"You knew about Hayley." Elijah commented casually, both of them walking down the cobbled streeet. "You kept it hidden from me."

"Family first." Adriana dismissed. "You'd be a hypocrite if you denied me that much."

"Yes." Elijah nodded, a small smile on his face. "I would. The point stands though Adriana, we agreed to keep no more secrets."

Adriana fell silent, twiddling with her daylight earrings while staring back at him.

"So we did." She finally agreed, stopping in front of the building Tayte's penthouse was located. "Well, cìao warrior."

"Are you still insistent that that is my new name?" Elijah asked.

"I stand by my reasoning." Adriana nodded.

"Well, goodbye gypsy."

Closing the building gat behind her and watching Elijah leave, Adriana frowned deeply and brought out her vibrating phone. The word _Unknown_ flashing on the screen before her eyes.

Raising a single eyebrow, Adriana pressed the answer button and held the phone to her ear, leaning against the gate.

"Hello? This is Adriana Mafiay spea-"

" _Mother._ " A deep male voice interrupted, a faint European accent noticeable in his voice despite the crackling if the speaker. The roaring wind and the sound of cars noticeable due to her hearing. " _We have a problem_."

Ripping the phone away from her ear, Adriana stared at the phone for three seconds before her whispered shout filled the air as she pressed the phone back against her ear.

" _Vladimir?_ "


	40. The Mother Of Nightmares

**AN: Hello! Lots of badassery in this chapter, we've all deserved some badass Adriana! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **The Mother Of Nightmares**

* * *

 **In which we see how dangerous Adriana truly is**

* * *

" _Vladimir?_ "

" _No, it's the Queen of England."_ Vladimir's voice scoffed sarcastically through the speaker of her phone. " _Look, mother, we've got a huge problem and it's all heading your way."_

"You never struck me as the type to believe in third-hand prophecies, Vlad." Adriana smirked pushing herself off the gate and walking up the stairs. "I thought I taught you better…"

 _"This is serious mother_." Vlad insisted, Romanian curses being heard as long as with the small screech of tyres through the small speaker of her phone. " _The sire lines have gone into a complete panic. We're talking bats on mercury style crazy here."_

"And since when did we care?" Adriana asked, opening the door to Tayte's penthouse. "Let them do what they wish."

" _Mother,_ " Vladimir sighed. " _You have to realise, since everyone's going to be protecting Elijah, other sire lines are going to come after you instead. Plus, last I checked, you decided you don't need his protection anymore, making yourself even more of a target_."

"I'm not having this argument with you again, Vladimir." Adriana said, her tone immediately turning cold.

" _Of course, mother._ " Vladimir muttered. " _But a baby? a family? Mother, if one of us acted in such a way under your wing-_ "

"Vladimir. That was then, this is now. Keep up, or you will be left behind."

" _Yes, mother_."

 _"_ Is there a purpose for calling your darling sire after all this time Vlad?" Adriana asked, nodding to Tayte and Ulrik as she began to pace in front of the window. Waving to Ulrik with a smile on her face as he stood on tow shaking legs, Tayte sitting near so he didn't hurt himself. "I'm quickly growing bored."

" _The Strix is divided."_ Vladimir informed flatly, blunt as always. " _One third want to kill you as revenge to Elijah, another third want to marry you for your influence in the vampire world_."

"And the last third?"

" _Me, Jack, and all the others that call you our sire, we just want you to be safe."_ Vlad said, his voice almost echoing around her brain. " _If protecting Elijah means that we all live, and you are protected, then we're prepared to do it_."

"God, this woman..." Josh groaned in pain, Adriana entering Marcels apartment with an annoyed look.

"Is there a reason I need to be here?" She asked, taking in the many unconscious vampires and broken furniture. "Ulrik is beginning to walk."

"Am I still seeing him this weekend?" Elijah asked casually, picking up a piece of the broken furniture.

"As per our agreement." Adriana nodded, glancing down at Josh. "Oh, hello there dear."

"What woman?" Elijah asked Josh, turning to the younger male as Adriana helped him to his feet.

"I don't know." Josh answered, nodding to Adriana in thanks, starting to wipe away the blood on his face. "She walked in like she owned the place. Said she had to talk to Marcel in private. We tried to get rid of her, and boom- Smackdown City. Which obviously went quite well."

Crouching down, Adriana glanced to Elijah as he picked up a stylistic black business card.

"Did this woman happen to have a name?" Elijah eventually said.

"I don't know." Josh shrugged, thinking over it. "Um... Aya?"

"Aya." Elijah sighed in recognition, a small sneer of distate appearing on Adrianas face. "Let me guess. Five-foot-seven, built like a goddess, vicious as a viper?"

"Prissy bitch?" Adriana offered when Josh didn't speak after several seconds.

"So, you two know her?"

"Unfortunately." Adriana scoffed, rolling her eyes in the memory of the woman that followed Elijah around like a lost puppy.

"I sired her." Elijah revealed.

"The oldest society of vampires this world has ever known." Aya explained to Marcel. "We are called The Strix."

"Quite the prestigious organization." Elijah called out, appearing in the doorway. "Responsible for countless wars, numerous plagues, assassinations... The last part was more Adriana's fault."

"I have no regrets." Adriana purred, stepping out from behind him.

"You have to break rules if you want to build a new world." Aya said haughtily "Hello, Elijah. It's been a while."

"You two know each other." Marcel sighed, rolling his eyes in exasperation.

"Intimately." Elijah replied flatly.

"Joy to all humanity." Adriana deadpanned, watching as Elijah shoved his fist into Aya's chest. "Ouch. That's got to hurt."

"Whatever you are doing here, I know you're not alone." Elijah stated, clearly unamused.

"Let her go, Elijah." Tristan called out, appearing in the doorway. "No need for this to become vulgar."

"What a lovely reunion." Adriana drawled out, scanning through the dozen vampires behind Tristan, scowling when she found out none of them were hers. "I should've brought wine."

"I would hold your tongue Ms. Mikaelson." Tristan stated, turning to her. "Quite a lot of people want you dead."

"And there he is." Elijah sneered, he too turning to the group, his hand still clutching Aya's heart. "Tristan."

"You go left, I go right?" Marcel offered, Adriana scowling at Tristan when he stepped forward.

"Why don't you stay where I can see you?" Elijah stated, yanking his hand out of Aya's chest and glancing over at Marcel suspiciously, the younger vampire glaring at him in offence.

"It's been ages since I've enjoyed a good scrap, but, uh... It's not why I'm here." Tristan said, bemused. "Mr. Mikaelson and I require the room. Please leave us."

While Aya and the other members of the Stix left, Adriana and Marcel still stood in the room. Adriana crossing her arms and glaring when Tristan glanced at her.

"Elijah, your sireline, your life, is at stake." Tristan pleaded. "You want to hear what I have to say."

"Marcellus, please." Elijah sighed. Marcel turning to leave, Adriana glancing at him sympathetically as he passed her "And you would do well to be selective about the company you keep in the future."

"Maybe you should remember who your friends are." Marcel replied flatly, leaving the room. "It looks like you're going to need 'em."

"Ms Mafiay." Tristan said turning to her and gesturing to the door.

"First it's Ms Mikaelson, and now it is Ms. Mafiay." Adriana bristled, baring her fangs at the older vampire. "I wasn't aware my last name changed to fit your need for me, Tristan. Or are you just too afraid to say my actual name?"

"Adriana stays." Elijah growled, Tristan's eyes turning back to him. "You waltz into my city unannounced with your flock of sycophants flaunting news of a threat. All the while, your little lapdog Aya is conspiring with none other than Marcel Gerard.

"Conspiring." Tristan muttered, rolling his eyes. "How grandiose. I thought I was the one with a flair for the dramatic."

"Watch your tongue." Elijah said coldly. Walking over to him and, almost threateningly, adjusted his tie. "I am not the patient, fun-loving social butterfly you might recall."

"Since when were you ever like that." Adriana scoffed, speaking up from where she stood a few feet away.

"Gypsy." Elijah warned.

"Warrior." Adriana mocked.

"Your Marcel is a potential recruit." Tristan explained, bringing the conversation back to him. "He has nothing to do with the larger issue we face."

"The larger issue?" Elijah asked skeptically.

"You've no doubt heard about the war between the sirelines?" Tristan waved off casually. "Well, as it happens, your line, thanks to my Strix, has wreaked all manner of havoc on Lucien and his assorted interests. As a result, he's desperate to exterminate the lot of us- me, Aya, everyone you've sired. Of course, the economical way to complete this task would be for him to kill you. You don't believe me. Perhaps you underestimate Lucien's ambition? While I doubt he'd have the gall to attack you directly, I believe he might try and find someone else to do it, namely Niklaus."

"Please." Adriana snapped, turning on her heel and facing Tristan with a loud huff. "You and I both know what you're spewing is a lie. My people may be members of your little childish club, but they are not your Strix. They are mine. They bow to my whims. They crush who I ask them too. Not you. Me."

"You turned you back on your own ruling Ms Mafiay." Tristan growled back, Elijah watching them both. "What makes you so sure they will follow you now?"

"I politely ask you to remind yourself Tristan, of what's makes you so afraid to say my name."

"What makes you so certain that Niklaus would select Lucien over his own family?" Elijah inquired, narrowing his eyes.

"From what I hear, he tortured his friend Marcel, cursed the mother of his child, and burned your paramour in front of you, all because he thought it the logical way to defeat his enemy. With Lucien in his ear, how long before the logical thing is to get rid of you?"

"Well, how very fortunate, indeed, then- Niklaus is on his way right now to put Lucien out of our collective misery."

"You have to stop him."

"And why would I do that?" Elijah scoffed.

"Lucien's seer believes there's an object capable of killing you."

"I'm well aware."

"Well, I don't have it." Tristan explained. "I'm quite certain my sister doesn't have it, either. Logically, then, one must assume that Lucien has it, or he knows where it is. If he dies, none of us will find it. Not until some other assassin attempts to use it against you. If you've any hope of finding that which can kill us all, Niklaus needs to be stopped."

"This is madness Adri." Tayte seethed, slamming the invitation onto the table where Adriana sat, gently helping Ulrik with his food. "Are you really going to accept this? Practically everyone in that room wants you dead."

"Which is precisely why you're coming with me." Adriana stated, calmly adjusting Ulrik's grip on his plastic spoon.

"What?" Tayte spluttered, rearing back in shock. "Are you trying to get both of us killed?"

"No. I'm not stupid." Adriana said calmly, finally turning her eyes to look at him. "I know what I'm doing."

"I know." Tayte sighed, scowling and running his hands through his hairs. "Gods, I know. And that is what has me worried."

"Everything will be fine." Adriana tried to placate. "Besides, when have I ever been wrong?"

Shooting her a half-hearted glare, Tayte watched Adriana casually throw the invitation into the fire behinds her.

"I've grown tired playing the pleasant wife," She scowled, rising to her feet with a dark look in her eyes. "Tristan is going to find out just _exactly_ who he's trying to play."

"Why are they all staring at you?" Hayley asked Elijah. Feeling all the eyes on her as they entered the Davila Estate.

"I'm kind of a big deal around here." Elijah waved off, leading her across the room.

"They're all part of your sireline." Hayley stated, her eyes wide with realisation.

"Most of them, tragically, yes." Elijah nodded, glancing around the room. "You see, Hayley, I wanted to assemble minds curious about the world and eager to improve it, along with the time and circumstance to do so. My desire was to create an elite brotherhood devoted to a new, better civilization. It was naive. Eventually, I was forced to abandon them once I realized I'd cultivated a legion of ego-maniacal sociopaths."

"A pleasure really," A heavily accented Italian voice purred. "I do presume you're talking about me."

Whirling around Hayley's eyes widened as she came face to face with with a smirking Adriana. Her brown eyes alight with a malicious sense of pleasure as she stared back at the female hybrid. Her short, light brown hair was down. Her lips glossy and a single, perfect eyebrow raised. Her simple black dress only helping her regal aura. The pitch black dress fell to the floor, though Hayley knew Adriana was wearing her usual tall heels to help her height issue.

Tayte stood next to her, his face blank as he coldly regarded both of them. Not needing words to be intimidating. Even dressed in a suit, Hayley could still sense the barbarian aura that flowed from the male. Contrasting to Adriana, Tayte was easily tall enough to tower over most of the room, being almost the same height as Elijah.

"Don't be vain Adriana." Elijah sighed, stepping in front of Hayley and diverting Adrianas attention away from her.

"I'm allowed to be vain." Adriana waved off, Tayte still silent from next to her. "I've had three attempts in my life since I've been here, and- Tayte, darling, how long have we been here?"

"Two minutes." Tayte answered, his voice as blank as his face.

"Yes." Adriana nodded, the smile on her face strained and her eyes alert. "Excuse me for a moment."

Spinning around on the tip of her heel, Adriana walked into the crowd, everyone parting like the Red Sea to let her through to the main floor of the estate.

"What is she doing?" Hayley asked Elijah as Adriana slowly stepped onto the empty dance floor, the music flowing around the room dying and the small numbering of members talking silencing as everyone saw her in the centre of the room.

Tayte, still stood where Adriana had left him, only glanced at Hayley before turning back to Adriana.

"I have no idea." Elijah answered Hayley, his voice low and his eyes trained on Adriana.

"Good evening ladies and gentleman." Adriana's words were like poison, low and deadly but loud enough to leave a sense of wight all over the room. "Now, I won't insult your intelligence by introducing myself. Let's cut to the point here. Within two minutes of being in this room I've had three attempts on my life." Tension filled the estate as Adriana glanced around her, low muttering filling the room as people closest to the main floor began to shift uncomfortably. "Now, now. I'm disappointed." The sadistic smile on her face made the room fall silent once more. "Let's stop this passive aggressiveness, shall we?"

Adriana's heels clicked as she took a step forward, her lace covered arms rising so they were spread out by her sides.

"Adriana. What are you doing?" Elijah growled lowly, his voice barely audible. "She's trying to get herself killed."

"So?" Adriana asked, her lips spread in a feral grin. Her hands making a 'come at me' gesture. "Does anyone want to have a go?"

Everything happened so quickly, everyone around Hayley seemed to move. Next to her, Elijah disappeared, Tayte disappeared into the rapidly moving crowd. People ran forwards, some ran back, not wanting to be caught in the mayhem.

Then, as suddenly as it started everything stopped.

Noticing the change too, Elijah stopped at the edge of the main floor.

Every single person that had made a mover for Adriana, no matter how small, was being held back.

Glancing around her, Hayley's eyes widened at the sight of the vampires easily holding back the people that had made a move against Adriana.

Men and women at all heights and races were scattered around the room. A caramel skinned, tall woman simply held a thrashing man by his collar on the balcony with one hand, staring at him with an almost bored expression on her face as she smoothed out the wrinkles in her blood red dress with her other hand. Near her, a male of Asian descent in a simple white top, black jeans and a hazardly knotted tie was holding back a blonde woman one arm holding her waist while the other was wrapped around her neck. Closest to where Adriana stood, a pitch black haired, slightly tanned male, held a pale male against the floor by his foot, the appendage pressing down on the mans back every time he tried to move. And that was just to name a few.

"Whoops." Adrianas voice sounded, the mirth filled voice cutting across the room as she lowered her arms. "I may have forgotten to mention that, of course, people will try to stop you."

The room was silent.

From where he stood, with a single hand wrapped around his throat and another hand wrapped around his heart, Tristan's jaw tightened when Adrianas stone cold eyes connected with his.

"It appears I do need an introduction." The mirth filled smile dropped from Adrianas face as she spoke, her voice bouncing of the walls of the estate as no one dared to even move. "My name is Adriana Mafiay. Most of you know me by my titles though, I am the Goddess of Red. The Wife of Death. The Mistress of Chaos. And, most importantly in this current situation, _Mother of Nightmares._ "

The silence in the room turned cold, as Adriana spun around once more.

"Would anyone _else_ like a go?" The smile on her face was sharp enough to kill, and nobody moved. "I'm glad we _finally_ understand each other. Let them go."

A perfectly synchronised: _"Yes, Mother."_ filled the room. Various loud thuds being heard as vampires were dropped to the floor.

"Have a nice evening." Adriana smiled, glancing back at the dark haired vampire that held a man down by his foot. "Vladimir! As handsome as ever, I'm glad you could make it."

Slowly the chatter began to return, and the vampires that had made a move against Adriana were kept an eye on by the people that had held them back.

Even as normalcy returned, and Adriana strutted off of the main floor, Hayley stood frozen.

Vladimir? As in Vladimir the Impaler? As in Count Dracula?

 _Adriana sired Count Dracula?_

She needed to sit down.

"I should have known." Elijah said quietly, Adriana glancing at him as she stopped next to him, accepting the glass that Tayte handed her.

"What?" Hayley asked, her eyes nervously scanning over the several imposing figures that hovered around Adriana, including Vlad himself.

"This isn't a party." Elijah revealed. "It's an initiation"

"Have you only just realised?" Adriana smirked, sipping the champagne. "My people have been watching the Strix this whole time, and they knew as soon as they stepped in that this wasn't a simple gathering."

"Distinguished friends, welcome." Tristan called out, as if on cue. "It's so rare that we're able to come together like this to revel for one night in the company of true equals. Now, I'd like to take a moment to welcome a very special guest- Marcel Gerard."

"He's been talking to Aya this whole evening." Vlad whispered lowly to Adriana, bending down next to her with his arms folded behind his back. "She has the monopoly on him. Their initiation is to take his daylight ring, either way someone's gonna die tonight."

"Thank you." Marcel smiled, stepping forward as the crowd applauded. "I'm honored. Thank you."

"Of course, before we tell Marcel all of our secrets, there's one small piece of business to which we must first attend." Tristan smiled fakely. "We must determine his worth."

"That's funny..." Marcel drawled off, frowning in confusion. "I seem to recall you being the one knocking on my door."

"You'll notice, Mr. Gerard, that over the course of the evening, someone has managed to take something quite dear to you... Your daylight ring." Tristan continued, Marcel looking down at his hand a realising his ring had indeed vanished.

"What the hell is going on?" Hayley whispered to Elijah.

"Hippolyta." Adriana called out quietly, a dark skinned woman coming to stand next to her. "Find out who has his ring."

"Of course, Mother." Hippolyta nodded, easily slipping into the crowd.

"The test is quite simple." Tristan explained. "First, you need to deduce the identity of the thief. Then, you are simply to take back what is yours... Although, I doubt the prize will be easily relinquished. After all, despite our refinement, we're still a rather violent bunch. In victory, you become one of us. In failure, you meet your death. You have a few hours until dawn. I wish you the best of luck."

"I need a drink." Tayte muttered, glancing at Vladimir who stood tall on his left. "Want to come with me?"

"Love too." Vlad chuckled, instantly preferring Tayte to Elijah. "Now, which one of these lovely ladies would you prefer…"

"These vampires are ancient." Hayley stated. How is Marcel supposed to beat one of them?

"With guile, courage, perhaps a bit of trickery..." Tristan said, appearing behind them. "Admittedly, it's a long-shot, but then, sometimes the new candidates surprise us. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tristan de Martel, and you must be the famous Hayley Marshall-Kenner, Alpha to the Crescent wolves."

"No one cares who you are, dear." A gentle voice called out, Adriana nodding to them from where she sat of the bars counter, her legs swinging back and forth idly. Her head turning back to continue her conversation with a dark skinned woman. "Now, 'Lyta, you were saying…"

"The pleasure's all mine, I see." Tristan smirked, unfazed by Adrianas interruption. "Elijah! When I sent your invitation, I didn't dare think you'd come. Tell me- as our founder and patriarch, what do you make of our latest candidate?"

"I could have warned you." Elijah told Marcel as Adriana approached them, a heavily tattooed male trailing a few feet away from her.

"Look," Marcel sighed. "I didn't tell you I was coming tonight because-"

"Because you're an idiot that going to get himself killed." Adriana said flatly, revealing her presence to the the two.

"You know who has it, dont you Adriana?" Elijah stated, Adrianas bodyguard stepping forward.

"Of course I do." Adriana smirked, raising her hand to signal her bodyguard to stop. "Doesn't mean I'm going to tell you. Marcel got himself into this, Marcel is grown enough to get himself out. Perhaps that's why he didn't tell you?"

"Because I wouldn't have allowed it." Elijah growled.

"Yeah. There's that word- allowed." Marcel smiled fakely. "You know, I thought I'd earned the right to be considered an equal, but that's not the way it works in your family. So, it's time I consider my options. If nothing else, The Strix aren't interested in me as a sidekick."

"These options, as you describe them, are a death sentence." Elijah sighed dramatically. Adriana watching the two in interest. "I suppose I shall have to intervene. It is a shame- I expect it shall ruin my tuxedo. I have had this suit for over a hundred years. It's proven far more reliable than you, Marcellus."

"Yes," Adriana nodded. Suddenly appearing next to him. "I can see just where I had ripped when I pulled you off that whore."

"Relax, all right?" Marcel said. "I got this under control."

"Do you?"

"I hope so." Marcel sighed, patting Elijah on the shoulder as he walked away. "That is a nice jacket."

Adrianas head lifted as the doors swung open. Her and Elijah watching with passive interest as Klaus, Lucien and a group of scantily clothed women stumbled into the room.

Klaus howled drunkenly, as Lucien and the women laughed happily. Everyone suddenly stopping to stare at the gate crashes.

"What a beloved occasion!" Klaus exclaimed loudly,

"My God, it's a room full of Elijahs." Lucien grinned, looking around the room.

"I had that exact same nightmare once!" Klaus grinned, the group laughing hysterically.

"Go and grab us a drink, love!" Lucien shouted, turning to one of the women. "Feel free to fetch one for yourself."

"One for me, please!" Klaus slurred. "And one for her, and her, and her, and her..."

"Mother," A deep voice whispered in her ear, as Klaus drawled off drunkenly. "We need to leave. The initiation starts soon."

Glancing at the heavily tattooed arm offered to her, Adriana hummed lowly, accepting the arm offered to her.

"Thank you, Kouu. I have grown quite bored." She nodded greatfully, exchanging a meaningful glance with Vladimir across the room. "Come on Tayte. We're leaving."

Unlatching his fangs from the human female, Tayte allowed her to stumble away from him. His black veins recoding as he wiped his lips free of blood.

"See?" Adriana laughed lightly. "I told you that I knew what I was doing. Now, Kouu. How have you been dear? I haven't seen you since the 1800's when you had a tight grip on the whole of Asia…"


	41. Why?

**AN: Lots of flashbacks here- we haven't had a proper flashback in a long time… Also in this chapter, strong language and maybe (sort of) the reason Elijah is a dick to Adriana. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Why?**

* * *

 **In which, to a child, Mother is God**

* * *

"The Mikaelsons have done nothing for us." A accented voice called over the mumbling voices. "Why should we help them?"

"If Elijah dies, then we're all kicking the bucket!" Another voice shouted back, the mumbling slowly rising in volume. "I don't know about everyone else, but I don't feel like doing that anytime soon!"

"Get a witch then!" Another voice joined in.

"Idiot! What witch is dumb enough to kill themselves doing that?"

The room descended into chaos once more. Adriana rested her head on her hand, feeling a headache coming on.

"Are they usually like this?" Tayte whispered to her, leaning against a chicken wire wall while he surveyed the dimly lit room.

All of the people Adriana had sired, and even the people they had sired, were all gathered in a massive warehouse. The main members, Vladimir, Jack, Kouu, and Hippolyta, were all gathered on the main floor, standing around a circular table and glaring at one another. The dim red light shining above them making them look even more menacing than usual. The people they had sired and other semi-important members gathered in crowds a few feet away from the table. Others stood around the warehouse, up at the metal balcony that circuled the warehouse, watching the debate from above.

"No." Adriana stated, slowly rising to her feet from where she sat on a wooden box. "They're worse."

"Lovely." Tayte muttered, wincing slightly as the volume rose another level. Hippolyta and Vladimir beginning to scream at each other once more.

"How do you deal with them?" Davina asked, her nose wrinkling and her mouth twisting into a sneer as yet another vampire openly stared at her.

"I was only ever continually invested in four of them." Adriana stated, gesturing to the table a couple of feet away from them. "Even that was difficult though."

Around the circular table in the middle of the warehouse, Vladimir, Jack, Kouu, and Hippolyta stood. Jack casually spinning a knife around on the wooden surface, watching the sharp tool with dead eyes as he blew a strand of brown hair away from his face. Obviously bored out of his mind. Kouu leaned forward, his forearms resting on the table while he analysed the warehouse. The tattoos that ran all the way up his arms even darker in the dim light. Vladimir stood straight, his hands flat against the table as he argued loudly with Hippolyta. The amazon woman screaming back at him with no fear.

Adriana remembered siring them all.

Kouu was by far the oldest, sired when Adriana was only a few years into being a vampire herself. His whole turning had been an accident Adriana had yet too regret.

 _Walking over the dirt track road, Adriana sighed happily at the sunny sky above her, softly spinning in a circle._

 _She had snuck away from the Mikaelsons, disappearing into the beautiful trees to feed from an unsuspecting human. Asia was such a beautiful continent, especially this far South._

 _It was a shame they couldn't stay long._

 _And she had yet to find someone to eat._

 _Adriana inhaled deeply, smirking as she saw a lone figure leaning against an apple blossom tree just off of the track, their legs spread out in front of them._

 _Slowly walking towards the tree, Adriana brushed the blossoms away from her face, tilting her face in curiosity and the shirtless sleeping male. A detailed dragon danced up his back, while tribal runes covered his arms and hands. Long hair as black as the ink on his body fell loose around him. Crouching next to him, Adriana tilted his neck, staring at the complicated series of lines and shapes that covered his body._

 _Sudden movement made her eyes reach his face, deep brown eyes staring fearfully into her caramel ones as he said something in his native tongue._

 _"Oh darling," Adriana shushed gently in Italian, her fingers pressing against his lips to stop him from shouting anymore. "This will only hurt a little bit. Then it'll all be over."_

 _Sinking her teeth into his neck, Adriana drank from him slowly, instantly shoving her bleeding wrist into his mouth when she had enough. When he didn't swallow the blood and moved to spit it out, she held his jaw shut and squeezed his nose._

 _She misjudged her strength._

 _The boys jaw crushed under her grip, his neck falling at an awkward angle when she tried to rip her hand away._

 _"Merda." She cursed, staring at the body in front of her as the bones began to rearrange themselves in front of her eyes. "Elijah is going to kill me."_

Hippolyta was her second oldest, sired around a hundred years after Kouu. The amazon woman had intrigued Adriana with her undeniable strength and independence.

 _"Drink." Adriana encouraged the dark skinned woman in her native tongue. "Drink and you will live."_

 _"I will die a warrior." Hippolyta argued, turning away from the red liquid in the cup to stare angrily at the bloody weapon that remained in her stomach._

 _"You will die." Adriana argued back._

 _"She will not accept Adriana." Elijah sighed, staring sadly at his wife's heartbroken face. "You cannot force it on her."_

 _"I can and I will." Adriana muttered almost brokenly. "Hippolyta, please."_

 _"Adriana. Leave it already, she deserves to die in peace."_

 _"Do not order her around." Hippolyta snapped, her dark eyes snapping to Elijah with a sneer on her face. "You know what, I will drink it, to prove you wrong if anything."_

 _Taking the cup away from Adriana, Hippolyta quickly downed its contents, slamming the cup next to her and glaring back at Elijah._

 _"I'm sorry for this." Adriana just smiled sadly, wrapping her hand around the other woman's and quickly snapping it._

Vladimir, her sweet Impaler, she had been so angry at Elijah. So angry at Katerina. So furious at the world.

 _"That looks painful." A voice spoke in perfect Italian, the King of Wallachia groaning deeply at the sound._

 _"Aren't you women supposed to be cowering in your homes?" He asked, also in Italian, the noblewoman above him raising a perfect eyebrow before casually pushing the sword deeper into his chest. "Okay! Okay!"_

 _"I saw you on the battlefield." The woman commented casually, her hand still lingering on the sword for a moment longer before fully letting go. "You are quite brutal."_

 _"So what?" Vladimir grunted, watching as she knelt on the dirt floor next to his head._

 _"I want you to rip someone to shreds for me." The sadistic woman purred, her face stopping millimetres above him, her pink lips brushing against his nose._

 _"That's kinda hard lady." Vladimir stated, gesturing to the sword in his stomach. "I'm a bit attached to the ground right now."_

 _"A minor inconvenience." The noblewomen waved off, swiftly pulling the sword out of his stomach and throwing it over her shoulder with strength that made Vladimir's eyes widen in amazement. "Now, about my offer-"_

 _"What the hell are you?" Vladimir whispered, staring at her like she was God, holding onto the hole in his stomach._

 _"Me?" The woman blinked, a smirk slowly forming on her face. "My name is Adriana Mafiay-Mikaelson, but you can call me Mother."_

Finally, Jack. Her youngest. The famous Jack the Ripper.

He always did have an ego problem.

 _"So, you're the famous Leather Apron." A heavily accented voice laughed brightly. The trench coat wearing man whirling around and staring into the shadows of the alley. "You're not much, are you?"_

 _"Careful." His gruff voice warned. "I'll tear out ya womb just like I did those other women. Nothin' but whores, they didn't deserve the power given to them."_

 _"Dramatic proposition." The woman laughed, finally stepping out of the shadows. "I have one of my own."_

 _"I have no need for money, and I'll rip apart any whore you send to me." Jack said darkly, pointing his knife at her throat. The woman didn't even blink. "You're stupid if you think I don't realise those pearls in your hair are real. Whitechapels a scary place for a little noble lady like yourself, you don't wanna be seen 'round 'ere lookin like that."_

 _"I'm not offering you money." The woman sighed, grasping the knife held against her throat and ripping it away from him. Holding up her hand, Jack watched as as the bleeding wounds knitted together before his eyes. "I'm offering you something so much better."_

 _"Are you the devil little lady?" He asked her, not bothering to pick up his knife as he stared at her. "You gonna make a deal for my soul?"_

 _"Something like that."_

The crowd parted as Adriana walked forward, Tayte and Davina following close behind her. The arguing quickly ceasing on the table, the whole room slowly quieting down as Adriana clicked her fingers sharply.

"Now," Adriana smiled coldly at the four surrounding. "Why don't we all be nice to each other?" They at least had the decency to look down in shame. "Vladimir, Hippolyta, stop arguing like children."

"Yes Mother."

"Jack, don't bring your toys to the table."

"Apologies Mother."

"Kouu, stand up straight. You're the oldest, start acting like it."

"Of course Mother."

Sighing lowly, Adrianas eyes turned to Vlad, who looked incredibly tense as he glanced from Adriana to Tayte and Davina behind her.

"Permission to speak freely Mother." The Romanian male said through gritted teeth.

"Go on." Adriana nodded, not even flinching when his hands slammed on the table. The wood splintering slightly under his hands.

Davina stepped back in shock, Tayte quickly grasping her wrist before she was swallowed by the crowd of bloodthirsty vampires.

"What the ever loving _fuck_ are you doing?" Vlad shouted, mutterings flowing around the room as Adriana stepped into the light, while Tayte and Davina remained on the outskirts of the main floor. "Mother, if this is your way of telling us you missed us then we are sorry. You must see the madness in this!"

"Mother can do whatever she wishes." Hippolyta snapped, jumping in defence of the smaller woman. "She has craved a baby to raise for centuries, and you dare to deny her this opportunity? You dare to deny her a family? You are nothing but a jealous child that wants her full attention!"

Adriana stared at them blankly before suddenly realising what they were actually arguing about.

This wasn't about the sire war, this boiled down to her decision to raise a family with pout the protection of the Mikaelsons.

"Vladimir. Hippolyta." Kouu snapped, his arms folded behind his back and glancing down at Adriana when she came to stand nexr to him. "Enough both of you." Oh, darling Kouu, always having her best interests in mind. "We all know I am Mother's favourite."

Oh Gods, here we go again…

Adriana resisted the urge to facepalm.

"Just cause your the oldest don't mean your the favourite." Jack pointed out, looking bored out of his mind. ""In fact, all of us were planned turnings, while you were just an unfortunate accident…" Jack smirked as Kouu snarled at him. "Oh, have a found a sore point?"

"Come talk to me when _you_ control a whole continent." Kouu sneered at him, shifting himself in front of Adriana. "I fail to recall you doing anything that actually takes more than a single brain cell, baby ripper."

"How about I slowly shred off that ink stained skin of yours and see how big your brain actually is, old man." Jack grinned sadistically, reaching for his knife once more. "We could compare."

Rolling her eyes, Adriana stepped out from behind Kouu, and whistled sharply.

The effect was instant.

Silence fell across the room as Kouu practically scrambled away from her, holding onto his ears with a pained expression. Jack dropped his knife and vamp-sped a few metres away from the table, his eyes wide with fear before he desperately tried to regain her composure. Vladimir curled up slightly, his neck bared in submission and his eyes downcast. Hippolyta flinched violently, bringing up her arms to defend herself from an invisible attacker, glancing around her warily.

"What's going on?" Davina whispered, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"She's trained them like dogs." Tayte whispered back lowly, keeping Davina close to him. "They're expecting an attack. Plus, that sound must have been torture in their ears by itself."

"Now, why don't we all be nice to each other?" Adriana repeated, her voice ice cold and her teeth bared in a mock imitation of a smile. "Vladimir, to answer your question, when have I not done something that has ultimately benefited me?"

Vladimir mumbled something inaudible, lifting his head while everyone hesitantly returned to the table.

"Speak up Vladimir." Adriana said, her patience obviously running thin.

"When you left Elijah." Vladimir snapped, louder this time. "When you left the protection offered to you, and decided that after years of protection that you could make it on your own. That you could hold off every vampire that was after you, and didn't even think to contact any of us. We would have happily provided protection."

"Vladimir-" Hippolyta whispered, glancing nervously at Adrianas face.

"No. Continue." Adriana waved off, her voice deadly calm. "I want to hear this."

"Love is a weakness we could never afford. That's what you told us." Vladimir quoted, staring back at Adriana. "Our values laid with the family we chose, not the family we were forced. People fear us because we are dangerous, because our hearts are black. You, our Mother, our teacher, have turned your back on your own word. You allowed yourself to have a weakness, to have a way to hurt you."

"What are you implying Vladimir?" Kouu growled out from next to Adriana. "Those words sound awfully like treason to me."

"I'm implying this." Vladimir growled, disappearing from the table and appearing behind Tayte and Davina. "I could snap their necks right now, and that would _break_ you. You'd have nothing left to live for, and then once a rip out the heart of your baby boy, it'd drive you to insanity."

Tayte and Davina just stood perfectly still, not even blinking as Vladimir shoved passed them.

"Darling Vladimir," Adriana purred, walking forward and almost lovingly caressing his face. "You talk about me like I have not already lost my mind." Faster than he could blink, Adriana had Vladimir on his knees with her arm in his chest, her hand wrapped around his still heart.

"I told you that ya' shouldn't 'ave annoyed 'er." Jack grunted, his natural rough accent coming through. "Now you've just made a fool of yourself."

Davina stared in morbid fascination at the chaos Adriana had caused, while Tayte just flinched slightly.

"Vladimir, my darling impaler." Adriana said gently, Vladimir choking as she tightened her hand around his heart. "I gave you life, and I can just as easily take it away from you. This is a warning, if I think your stepping out of line once more, I won't be so hesitant to rip out your cold, black heart. Am I clear?"

"Crystal, Mother."

"This meeting is adjourned." Adriana snarled, letting Vladimir collapse to the floor and some of his lackeys rush to his aid. "Next time, we'll have a vote to see if we, as a collective, are getting involved in this childish spat. Dismissed."

"I've picked up Ulrik." Adriana whined to Freya, Ulrik clinging to his mothers leg and holding himself up on shaking legs. "Why do I have to stay?"

"A fight broke out inbetweeen Klaus and Elijah while Ulrik was here." Freya revealed clearly disappointed in her brothers. "Elijah fears that Ulrik is now scared off him."

"Well, Elijah should choose his fights better." Adriana snapped at Freya, crouching in front of Ulrik. "Ulrik, _soldatino_ , what happened with Elijah?"

"Papa, angry." Ulrik sniffed, his nose slightly red from crying. "Scary."

"Oh, _soldatino…"_ Adriana purred softly, glancing into the compound worryingly. "I've got to sort this out haven't I?"

"That would be helpful." Freya nodded, leading Adriana into the compound. Picking up Ulrik, Adriana quickly wiped away a few stray tears and smiled at him gently. Ulrik immediately snuggling into the crook of her neck.

"I won't let anyone hurt you." Adriana promised into his hair, squeezing her eyes shut and trying to block out Vladimir's words that still rang in her brain. "Do I honestly even want to know?"

The two brothers only glances at her as she strutted into the dining room after Freya. Klaus and Elijah were both covered in blood and wearing the tattered clothing, sitting at the table together like the rest of the room didn't look like a bomb hit it. The weeping bite mark on Elijahs wrist made Adriana flinch slightly in memory of the werewolf bite.

"We had a little chat about the past." Klaus smirked, Freya rolling her eyes in exasperation.

"I informed Niklaus I am not his enemy." Elijah explained, clearly exhausted. "And, though they entered the city under the guise of peace, Tristan and Lucien, in truth, are allied against us. A fact that required a little bit of... gentle persuasion..."

Adriana scoffed in light amusement, adjusting Ulrik in her arms.

"And so I reminded our brother, who angered them in the first place..." Klaus trailed off.

"And, after all of this civil discourse, what understanding did you come to?" Freya asked, clearly annoyed.

"That we expose and destroy our first sired." Elijah stated flatly, his eyes flickering to a silently Adriana behind Freya.

"Couldn't agree more." Klaus smiled happily, sliding a bottle of his blood across the table to Elijah. "You see, gentlemen know when to call a truce and turn our fury in a more pertinent direction."

As Klaus left, Adriana turned to Elijah.

"I think you have something to say to your son." She stated, her voice blank.

Nodding in understanding, Elijah gently took Ulrik from her, positioning his adopted son so he would look at him.

"Hey Ulrik." Elijah whispered, blue eyes shyly glancing at him before looking back down to the floor. "You know I would never hurt you, right? You're my little soldier. You're one of the greatest things that ever happened to me." Ulriks eyes flickered up, and Adriana watched them both with an almost contemplative look in her face. "I would never, ever, intentionally hurt you."

"The sad thing is Elijah," Adriana said softly. "I want to believe that, but you made me that exact same promise years ago, and look were that got us."

Sighing lowly, Elijah put Ulrik down on one of the only still intact chairs, the small blonde haired boy watching his adopted parents with guarded interest.

"He looks at you like you are a God." Elijah commented, his eyes flickering from Ulrik to her.

"To a child, a Mother is God." Adriana quoted, "that doesn't answer my question."

"I don't recall you asking one."

"Will you betray Ulrik like you did me?" Adriana asked, her eyes cold as he walked towards her. "You see, I'm in a bit of a predicament right now. Yes, you were a bastard to me for years, you betrayed me and cheated on me. Overall, you treated me horribly. On the other hand, to everyone else you were loyal and noble. You care for your family and yet you treated me horribly? How can I trust you not to do the same to Ulrik?"

"It seems you're asking another question to me." Elijah pointed out, standing straight as he circled around her. "Stop hiding behind double meanings Adriana, what is it you wanted to ask?"

" _Why?_ Why do that to us?"

"I'd be lying if I said that I knew." He stated, stopping in front of her so that they were face to face. "It could be out of anger of your betrayal of my family,"

 _"You called Mikael!" Elijah growled, the table upturning as Adriana shrunk further into the wall. "If you meant any less to me then I wouldn't hesitate to rip out your throat. I have done nothing but protect you, Andy you do this to my family?"_

 _"I never wanted this!" Adriana screamed back, fighting against the vervain soaked restraints. "This- this vampirism! This dreaded immortality. I never wanted it! Just- just let me die!"_

 _"I could kill you." Elijah contemplating, fiddling the wooden stake that lay waiting on the table. "But that's exactly what you want, so I guess you punishment can be to live."_

"Maybe it's my self perceived ownership over your life."

 _"Forgive me if I'm wrong, but last I checked you were a maid that rose the ranks. A maid that I own, a maid that I paid for."_

"Or maybe my red door just needed to outlet on someone."

 _"You're red door controls you more than you would know." Adriana hissed at him, her hands covered in blood as she kneeled over yet another shredded body. "Is that all I am to you, an outlet for your own darkness."_

 _Elijah only stared out the manor window, his whole body covered in blood._

 _"Little Goddess of Red, if I was anymore delved into my red door, then that beautiful red would stain your body forever."_

"Or, just maybe, I was so used to treating you badly for an act of the ages, that by the time it came to stop I couldn't bring myself to do it." Tension sparked around them, Adriana staring back at Elijah as he casually tucked a single stray hair behind her hair and kissed her forehead. "Or maybe it's none of them and I am just the wrestched person you percieve me to be."

"Well," Adriana sighed, breaking the tension and stepping away from him. "I'd love to listen to your life's regrets, but I've got my own family drama to deal with."

"Of course, Adriana." Elijah nodded, stepping back. Adriana picking up Ulrik and walking towards the door, only to stop suddenly. Running her free hand through her short hair, Adriana glanced back at Elijah, concern in her gaze.

"Do me a favour, warrior," she stated calmly, Elijah looking back at her curiously. "Just- try not to die. That would be a major inconvenience for me."

"I would almost say you were concerned Adriana."

"Don't push it."

"Silence." Adriana shouted over the screaming crown, whistling sharply as silence descended over the area. "Let's cut to the business. This meeting is to decide if we as a society should help in the sire war that is occurring between lines. Kouu, what has your fraction decided?"

"Our fraction has voted Aye." Kouu stated, standing in front of his group with his stance perfect. "With the premise that if Elijah dies, then we will as well. Self preservation if you will."

"Your vote has been heard. Hippolyta, what has your fraction decided."

"We vote Aye." Hippolyta nodded, standing in front of her own group. "For the same reasons as the previous fraction."

"Understandable. Your vote has been heard. Vladimir, what does your fraction vote?"

"Nay." Vladimir stated coldly, everyone glancing at Vladimir in shock. "We vote to find a witch powerful enough to disconnect the lines."

Adrianas jaw ticked. If Jack voted Nay as well then she would have a problem on her eyes and the two opposing teams would have to win by right if conquest. Which would most likely end in a bloodbath. That was why the four votes were usually unanimous, they didn't want to fight each other.

What was Vladimir doing?

"You vote has been heard." Adriana forced out through gritted teeth. "Jack, what has your fraction decided?"

This was bad. To leave Jack with the levelling vote. The boy enjoyed a bloodbath more that anyone she knew, and he hated Elijah with his whole heart. He would surely vote Nay.

"We vote Aye." Jack said flatly from where he sat on the concrete floor in front of his fraction.

"Your reason?" Adriana inquired when he didn't move to explain.

"That Tristan de Martel." Jack growled, staring off into the distance with a hateful sneer. "I was the one that detained him in that party. Shoved my hand in his heart and everything. He, and that whole dreaded society, want you dead. What better way to piss him off than protect Elijah with him?"

"I see, your vote has been heard." Adriana nodded, feeling her own smirk appearing in her face. "With the vote of the majority, the Oscurità Society votes that we will fight in the upcoming sire war. Meeting adjourned."


	42. A Dinner To Remember

**AN: Enjoy!**

* * *

 **A Dinner To Remember**

* * *

 **In which Adriana sits down for dinner with the enemy**

* * *

"I don't see why I have to go to this sham of a dinner." Adriana hissed, slamming the invitation onto the table while Tayte looked up from where he was playing with Ulrik. "Or why I have even been invited. It doesn't even fit Elijahs thought pattern."

"Maybe they missed you?" Tayte offered, Ulrik looking up from his building block a grinning widely.

"Ulrik go!" The blue eyed boy cheered. "Ulrik go see Papa!"

"Oh, _soldatino_." Adriana said softly, hating to deny her children. "This is a grown ups dinner. You have to stay here with Tayte, you'll have fun though."

"You're going to the Mikaelsons for Thanksgiving?" Davina asked, picked up the invitation and examining it. "We don't even celebrate Thanksgiving."

"I haven't decided if I'm actually going or not." Adriana stated, glancing back at her eldest. "What's with you going to Marcels?"

"I just had to tell him something." Davina waved off, Adriana only nodding in acceptance.

"Ulrik go!" Ulrik almost demanded, Adriana turning to him and raising a single eyebrow. "Why don't go?"

"Because bad people are going to be there." Adriana explained to the baby, levelling out her own stare with the child. "Bad people that eat cute little boys like you for breakfast. Do you want to be eaten Ulrik?"

"Papa and Mama protect me."

"I said _no_ Ulrik."

"Have you decided yet?" Davina asked, quickly changing the subject.

"If I don't go myself, then Klaus will drag me there." Adriana sighed, running a hand through her hair. "And I rather like my dignity. Plus, the Oscuritá have voted to help in the sire line war, refusing the meeting would make it seem like I'm going against my own word."

"The Obscure." Tayte snorted, slightly amused by the name choice. "Well done Adri."

"I'm not good at coming up with names." She waved off. "Besides, you'll be fine while I may away. What do you three do while I'm gone anyway?"

Shrugging, Tayte turned back to Ulrik. "Wait for you to come back I suppose."

Despite her unwillingness, Adriana still entered the Mikaelson Compound at the specified time requested on the invitation.

Lucien and Tristan were already there when she arrived, her usual black stilettos announcing her presence to the Compound.

"If it isn't Lucifer and Trident." Adriana grinned, gesturing her hand to them lazily. "Maybe I will get some entertainment after all."

Smirking, Lucifer eyed the petite woman up and down. Adriana wore a blood red, tight dress that reached the floor. A single slit ran up the left side, revealing her tan legs whenever she took a step.

For a woman that was known to rip out people's tongues, Adriana looked like she couldn't hurt a fly.

That was what probably made her so dangerous.

"If it isn't the darling Adriana Mafiay." Lucien replied, stalking forward and taking a hold of her hand, kissing it gently. "As breathtaking as always I see."

"My, I see we have a flatterer on our hands." Adriana commented, letting Lucien keep a hold of her hand. "I'll be sure to sit next to you at the table."

"It would be my pleasure." Lucien practically purred.

"Lovely." A voice called out, all three of them turning to see Klaus walking towards them. "We're all getting along!"

"Like a fuse and a match." Lucien hummed, glancing at Tristan as he spoke and finally letting go of Adriana's hand.

"I take it Aurora is on her way?" Klaus asked.

"I'm sorry I'm late." Aurora said, as if on cue. Waltzing into the room with a deep purple velvet dress with puffy sleeves. Adriana openly rolling her eyes at the older vampiress. "Just freshening up. I did want to look pretty."

Was it the entirely different upbringing and situations? Was it the fact that Adriana had had her heartbroken multiple times before her turning? Or was this spoilt noble girl really this childish?

"You look ravishing." Klaus stated, bending down and kissing her hand.

"Welcome to our home." Elijah announced, descending down the staircase and into the courtyard. "I do wish it was under better circumstances. We all face a common threat- a prophecy warning that my siblings and I would all fall within a year. I fear my sister already has."

"What?" Adriana asked, blinking on confusion. Next to her, Lucien looked just as confused. "What's happened to Rebekah?"

"Only as a precautionary measure, I assure you." Tristan spoke up after a few seconds of awkward silence. All eyes turning to him.

"Interesting." Elijah nodded, a little too calm for Adrianas liking. "You see, I would have called it an entirely unnecessary measure. We need to unite to prevent the prophecy from coming to pass. And, since any alliance is impossible without honesty... Let us begin this evening's proceedings by formally acknowledging your clandestine alliance."

"Now gentlemen, before-" Lucien replied, only to be cut off.

"Shh, shh, shh, shh." Elijah muttered, patronisingly cutting Lucien off. "Lucien, please. Let's not ruin the dinner before it begins."

Adriana's eyes widened slightly as Elijahs eyes locked with hers. Realisation slowly dawning on her face.

"And, do try to bear in mind, we expect and honest and productive negotiation this evening." Klaus grinned happily.

"Shall we begin?" Elijah smiled, Adrianas eyes flickering between the two of them warily.

Tristan and Lucien both sighed nervously, Aurora just smiled, while Adriana shifted uncomfortably. Elijah extended his arm out to the table, all of them walking forward and sitting down. Klaus and Elijah sat at both ends of the table, Tristan and Aurora sat together on the right side while Lucien and Adriana sat on the left. Adriana sitting closer to Elijah while Lucien sat closer to Klaus.

"It's a bit odd, isn't it?" Lucien asked, glancing around. "Celebrating an American holiday?"

"Well, you know, Lucien, I rather enjoy Thanksgiving." Elijah replied, his eyes leaving Adriana to glance at Lucien. "The turkey, the cranberry sauce... The lies, the deceit, the betrayal... Perhaps we should begin this evening's proceedings with a little confession?"

"What?" Adriana scoffed, leaning back in her seat and examining her nails. "The fact that none of us actually want to be here?"

"Don't be cruel Adriana." Elijah waved her off, gesturing to the food in the table.

"And do help yourselves."

"So, this entire dinner is meant to be some boorish inquisition?" Aurora pouted. "How rude."

"Nonsense, love!" Klaus smiled happily, Adriana continuing to examine her nails. "My brother merely wishes to make certain we're all on the same page. So, who would like to begin?"

"Well, Lucien and I have always loathed each other." Tristan spoke up. "Had we arrived as allies with a bleak future, you would have doubted us. We sought to remove suspicion by maintaining appearances."

"Oh, my dear. These pathetic lies promise to be as difficult to swallow as your stuffing this year, Niklaus." Elijah sighed dramatically, lowering his voice. "Walnuts, honestly."

"You're full of the holiday spirit this year Elijah." Adriana commented, not even looking up from her nails as she continued. "Have you tortured someone without me?"

"My, my, wife." Elijah tutted, casually filling his plate with food as if they weren't discussing murder. "I would never do that to you. To imply that I would spend your favourite past time without you? Do you have so little faith in my self control?"

"My, my, husband." Adriana mocked, their cold eyes meeting as she looked up from her nails. "Would it be bad to say that I did?"

"The cranberry sauce is your favourite." Elijah commented, offering her the tub as the tension in the room rose.

"Thank you, dear." Adriana smiled bitterly, accepting the tub.

"The bottom line is, we came to protect you ourselves." Lucien stated, clearing his throat. "We have never wavered on this point."

"And the bodies on my streets- is that your protection as well? Klaus asked skeptically.

"It's business as usual for The Strix." Lucien shrugged.

"An old tactic, used often and to great success." Tristan stated. "Jack the Ripper, Son of Sam... A frightened human populace is that much easier to control. If tourism should decline, and the local vampires are deprived of fresh blood? Well, you saw how quickly Marcel joined our ranks."

Adriana laughed loudly, her head falling back as everyone turned to her. Next to her, at the end of the table, Elijah sighed loudly. Already knowing where this was heading.

"You praise him loudly." She commented, casually resting her head on the palm of her hand as she stared Tristan down. "I'm sure he'll be delighted when I tell my darling ripper of your compliment. It's just a shame he doesn't like you very much."

Tristans jaw visibily tightened at her comment.

"Pedestrian." Klais commented, rolling his eyes. "I would've expected more from such gaudy theatrics."

"Well, if one wanted to obtain a certain item in, say, a private collection, but one was not invited into the home where said private collection was located, a police investigation could come in handy to remove those items as evidence." Lucien revealed, Adriana glancing at him with a raised eyebrow.

"I take it you are referring to the medallion?" Elijah asked, clearly unamused.

"What medallion?" Adriana asked, her face scrunched up with confusion as she glanced around the table. "What else have I been missing out on?"

"I suppose it was my sister who shared that bit of information?" Tristan said, recovering his composure quickly.

"Don't blame Aurora." Klaus waved off. "You two are hardly conspiratorial geniuses."

"Funny story," Lucien started. "It turns out, all along, that the medallion was in the hands of Nik's friend Camille, the bartender-slash-therapist. Had to get her arrested in order to search her goodies, so to speak. But, I would never allow any harm to come to her, knowing the great affection you have for her."

"A medallion that could lock us away hardly seems like a wise strategy for those come to protect us." Klaus growled. "Hand it over."

"And release Rebekah." Elijah continued.

"Uh, just a tick- Aurora has Rebekah?" Lucien interrupted, looking around the table.

"No reason why I shouldn't be trusted with my sire's safety." Aurora spoke up, clearly offended.

"Of course." Lucien scoffed. "Unless you were to have one of your episodes."

"Easy, Lucien." Tristan jumped in, quick to defend his sister. "My sister sought leverage to protect herself. Who among us would do otherwise?"

"Niklaus, will you politely remind me why we shouldn't just compel them all to give us what we want?" Elijah asked, quickly losing patience.

Aurora burst into laughter at his remark, falling back into her seat and giggling wildly.

"I'm sorry, did Elijah say something amusing?" Klaus asked through gritted teeth.

"We lost a century to compulsion, my love." Aurora only smiled politely. "And some of us lost a great deal more. Surely you can't believe we'd allow ourselves to come here vulnerable?"

"My dearest Aurora, compulsion is not my only party trick." Elijah smiled back fakely. From her seat, Adrianas eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"I do not like these threats." Aurora scowled, her pretty little face twisted.

"I don't like the fact that I have to deal with this child squabble." Adriana sighed loudly, ripping her eyes away from Elijah and gesturing her glass around the room while Lucien snickered slightly next to her. "And yet, here I am."

"Our continued existence depends on the Mikaelsons." Tristan spoke up, trying to calm down his sister. "We've known that since Finn and Kol died. Unfortunately, so does every other vampire in the world. Given that the sirelines have declared war against one another, you can imagine how many young upstarts have come to the same conclusion- kill a Original, wipe out an entire line of rivals. Heavy burden, isn't it? The lives of thousands of sired vampires resting on your shoulders? In a perfect world, you'd allow us to seal you away forever, thus eliminating the threat."

"Fortunately, the world is far from perfect." Klaus stated coldly.

"With all the nauseating dinner theater we've endured throughout the centuries, these performances are, by far, the worst." Elijah sneered, Adriana watching him in interest, a glass of wine in her hand. "Aurora, my sister-"

"Aurora is quite aware of our desire to see Rebekah home, and I'm sure she'll do everything in her power to oblige." Klaus said, immediately cutting him off.

"We're welcoming our enemies to the dinner table now?" Freya asked, walking into the courtyard. "Convenient, given she's the one who has the answers I want. Hello Adriana, nice to see you."

Wordlessly, Adriana raised her wine glass in acknowledgment of the eldest Mikaelson sibling.

"Oh, for heaven's sake!" Aurora scoffed, rising to her feet. "Now I have to deal with the long-lost sister? Nik, please spare me your family's rage and paranoia. It is exactly this kind of lunacy which led me to steal Rebekah in the first place."

"What did you do with her?" Freya interrupted, Aurora turning away from Klais to stare back at her.

"Oh, I'm sorry, love, but this prophecy has you all acting as fools." Aurora sneered, not even trying to hide it anymore. "And I've no intention of risking my life to foolishness. Now, I can't trust Rebekah with any of you. And I certainly can't trust the silly dear to endure on her own, so I decided to put her someplace safe. Imagine a spot where no harm could come to her. Where, in fact, no one could possibly even track her down." Aurora's smile was too sweet for Adrianas liking. "Yes, rest assured, Rebekah is perfectly fine... at the bottom of the ocean."

Adriana choked on her drink while Elijah and Klaus starting to stare at her murderously.

"You're bluffing." Klaus growled. Aurora simply shook her head. "Tell me you're bluffing!"

"Oh, you should all be thanking me." Aurora scoffed loudly. "Rebekah's never been safer! She has plenty of company down there. There's all the little crabs, and octopus, and..."

Slamming his hands on the table, Klaus threateningly rose to his feet. Before he could retaliated against Aurora further, Tristan disappeared and reappeared across the room, holding a knife to Freya's neck. Adriana watched it all, calmly talking another sip of her wine.

"Harm my sister, and I'll be forced to return the favor." Tristan growled loudly.

Not to be outdone, Elijah vamp sped over to Tristan. Successfully pulling him away from Freya and pinning him face first to one of the support beams off the balcony,

"Oh, this all escalated very quickly..." Lucien smirked, sipping at his drink while Adriana turned her chair around to fully watch the action.

"Now, look at that," Adriana grinned, leaning forward to watch the show, "it's getting interesting."

"Shut up, both of you, or I'll tear your tongues from your head." Klaus threatened, glancing back at them with a growl.

"Be careful with your threats, Nik." Lucien said, rolling his eyes. Casually clinking glasses with Adriana. "Anything should happen to me, I won't be able to protect your precious Cami."

"Okay, that is the second time I've heard her name!" Aurora sneered, her eyes flashing with jealousy and anger. "Just who is this Cami?"

"Why?" Adriana giggled, leaning back in her seat and folding her arms with a smirk on her face. "Is somebody jealous?"

"You have bigger problems." Freya stated flatly, glaring mutinously at Aurora. Thrusting up Her hand and flickering her wrist, using magic to break Auroras neck. The vampiress falling onto a heap on the floor.

"Niklaus..." Elijah trailed off, dragging Tristan back to the table and shoving him back into his seat. "Which of these two vulgar parasites would you first like to torture?"

"Why are you looking at me?" Adriana snapped, shooting to her feet with a look of offence. "What have I done?"

"Adriana," Elijah smiled. "Do the world a favour and shut your pretty mouth for a second."

"Oh, warrior." Adriana purred, striding forward and stopping extremely close to Elijah, their noses touching when he looked down. "I'm sure you would know a lot about my mouth."

With a small smirk on his face, Elijah wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her there before she could take another stepped back. If Adriana was shocked, she didn't show it. Her deep brown eyes flickering down to his arm before they slowly turned back to his eyes, her face perfectly blank.

"Well, it's half a dozen of one and six of the other, isn't it?" Klaus smirked, ignoring Adriana and Elijah while he squeezed Luciens shoulders with mock affection and throwing a devilish smirk in Elijahs direction. Why don't you take the stable boy? Tristan and I are long overdue for a good catch-up. Oh, if anything happens to Camille..."

"Oh, I'm quite sure Lucien's aware." Elijah replied, not even looking up from Adrianas gaze as he spoke. "Devastating error."

"Niklaus." Adriana spoke up, before he could leave with Tristan. Her voice was sickeningly sweet, but her chocolate eyes were cold as they turned to him. "Before you go… there's just one thing I wanted to ask you…"

"What is it Adriana?" Klaus sighed, still keeping a tight grip on Tristan. "Make it quick."

"Of course." Adriana nodded in agreement, her eyes sliding back over to Elijah. "Why is he being controlled by his red door?"

Elijahs trailing hand stoppped dead on her back, her words quickly registering in his brain.

"What?"

"You heard what I said." Adriana growled out flatly, pushing herself away from Elijah and stepping back. "When was the last time he fed?" Klaus was silent. " _Idiota_!" Closing her eyes and sighing deeply, Adriana stepped further away from Elijah. "Now I understand, the noble, peace loving Elijah would never invite me to this ordeal, but the red door would."

"Adriana." Elijah muttered, tilting his head slightly. "Didn't I tell you to _shut your mouth_."

"You don't control me anymore." Adriana hissed.

"Do you want to put that to the test?"

Glaring back at him, Adriana wisely chose not to retort.

"No doubt you're angry..." Lucien trailed off, pouring himself a drink while the three of them gathered in Klaus' art room. Elijah stared at him menacingly, while Adriana leaned against the wall and stayed on Luciens side of the room. "Rightfully so. For what it's worth, I was horrified by Aurora's thoughtless actions. But, I assure you, Cami will be fine, provided I'm allowed to leave here with my head intact."

"Give me Camille and the medallion, and then we may consider the future of your head." Elijah stated, unamused.

"Elijah, I have always been consistent." Lucien replied, trying to talk Elijah down." I only wanted to stop the prophecy to thereby save myself."

"And how do I know that you're not the author of this very prophecy?" Elijah asked, narrowing his eyes. "Alexis was your little fortune teller, and anything that may have come to pass could be the result of your own duplicitous little games."

"Elijah." The tone of Adriana's voice caused Elijahs head to snap towards her. Slowly advancing towards them, Adriana rested a hand on Elijahs chest, gently pushing him away from Lucien. "Leave it, he's just a child that's messing with you."

"Technically, I'm older than you Adriana." Lucien commented, taking a sip from his glass.

"You lost a century by pretending to be someone else." Adriana replied, turning around to face him. " _Technically_ , we're the same age."

"Anyway," Lucien shrugged, turning back to Elijah. "You give me far too much credit for being clever. Instead, consider the rift between Niklaus and yourself, made worse thanks to Aurora. One shall fall by family. That does not bode well for you."

"Whatever differences we have, and however smitten my brother may be." Elijah stated, Adriana quietly shooting him a warning look. "I am certain Niklaus will always put family first."

"Really?" Lucien scoffed loudly. "Aurora drops your sister in the bottom of the ocean, yet Klaus does not seem particularly inclined to make her suffer for it." Walking over to the wall, Adriana watched him suspect a piece of portrait that peeked out through a hole, pressing her hand harder into Elijahs chest when he took a threatening step forward. "I wonder why..."

Adriana turned on her heel, about to follow Elijah out of the room before Lucien called out to her.

"Adriana? I have something to ask of you…"

"Longitude and latitude." Lucien sighed, sitting down next to an exasperated Freya as Adriana remained standing next to Elijah. "Lovely."

"Well, despite our differences, I believe great strides were made today." Tristan grinned, holding up his glass toward Aurora, who lifts her own and taps it against his in cheers for their apparent victory.

"Tristan, I can't murder you at this very moment, but I could just as easily tear those eyeballs from your skull and feed them to your sister." Elijah hissed our coldly, Adriana resting a hand on his chest when he moved to take a step forwards.

"We can make them eat each others entrails later." She whispered to him low enough for the rest of the room to not hear. "Pick your battles wisely."

"Elijah!" Klaus spoke up, surprisingly deciding to mediate. "These are our guests."

"Nik, it's so sweet of you to defend us." Aurora smiled, her sweet voice almost making Adriana gag.

"You know, I doubted my brother's wisdom in bringing us all together today, but he was right." Klaus said rising to his feet. "We must confront the harsh realities we all face and make difficult choices to ensure our collective survival." Klaus lifted his glass for a toast, Tristan and Aurora raising their glasses with him with smiles on their faces. "And I have every confidence that my choice... will be the right one." Klaus walked next to Elijah and Adriana, calmly handing Adriana his drink with a nod. With raised eyebrows, Adriana watched Klaus speed forward and snap Tristan's neck. "Were you anyone else, the servants would already be mopping your blood from the floor. If you do not bring my sister home, Tristan will die slowly, and in tremendous pain."

"You betray me after all your promises of love?" Aurora asked, glaring at him.

"Welcome to my world, honey." Adriana muttered, sarcastically raising Klaus' glass and drinking to the notion.

"I meant to keep those promises." Klaus exclaimed. "It was you who shattered them when you took Rebekah! Now I have your brother- a sibling for a sibling. I want Rebekah back."

"You will regret this." Aurora sneered, knocking over the table in anger and storming away.

"After everything today, you just let her go?" Freya asked, all of them watching Aurora disappear.

"Aurora should be easy enough to control." Elijah stated, Adriana stepping away from him. "We have Tristan now."

"Lucien, you will take me to Camille, and you will surrender the medallion, or you will meet an end so cruel, the devil will weep." Klaus growled, stepping toward the fidgeting Lucien.

"And that's me gone. I'm sure Ulrik is throwing a storm demanding for me." Adriana sighed, placing Klaus' glass near the ruined table. "Before I go, Lucien dear about your offer…" Lucien raised an eyebrow as she prowled over to him, resting a hand in the table and leaning down to look him in the eyes. "I would rather burn in hell than _ever_ join _you_."

"It would be a shame, you're a beautiful woman Adriana." Lucien stated, staring right back at her. "Let me know if you change your mind."

"I won't." Adriana snapped, leaning up and walking away from him.

The dark look in his eyes made her feel like she had just signed her death warrant.


	43. Fear And Love

**AN: *glares at the screen with a scowl* I'm sorry this took so long my screen keeps glitching which is making it difficult to save any progress I have. *sighs* Oh well... Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Fear And Love**

* * *

 **In which the world is just a stage**

* * *

"Open it!" The sailor urged his fellow crew. "This Mr. Elijah Smith paid big money to have this dredged out of the Gulf. What's ever in it has gotta be worth a fortune. I say we renegotiate."

Begrudgingly, the men opened the crate, only to have a black umbrella block their view.

"I'm afraid that was my final offer." Elijah stated, calmly closing his umbrella and standing in front of them.

"I'm sorry." A sweet voice sang out, Adriana suddenly appearing behind the sailors. "But the contract has already been signed, the real job will be finding any loopholes in that."

Cracking her knuckles, Adriana smiled softly while Elijah threw his coat into a pile of lumper. Adriana immediately sped forward, immediately wrapping her hands around the nearest mans throat and twisting sharply. Using his falling ody as leverage, she sprung at another confused sailor, her foot easily falling straight through his chest.

Spinning around with her foot still in the mans chest, Adriana grinned as she watched a few of the still standing men scramble away in fear.

"Pleasure doing business with you!" She called after them, waving at their horrified faces as she calmly stepped out of the dead mans chest.

"Adriana." Elijah warned, opening the crate and moving to pull the stake out of Rebekah's chest.

"My poor shoe." Adriana whimpered, ignoring Elijah as she stared down at her blood soaked left foot. "I think I actually payed for these as well."

"Hello, sister." Elijah greeted, discreetly rolling his eyes at Adriana as Rebekah sat up.

"Tell me I didn't miss Christmas." Rebekah smiled weakly.

"I think I prefer the bottom of the murky sea to that restroom." Rebekah stated, Adriana glancing up at her with s raised eyebrow as she leaned against the car.

"Still hungry, are we?" Elijah smiled, clearly amused by the whole thing.

"I'm not hungry, I'm angry." Rebekah groaned out in frustration. "Staked by your ex, drowned by Nik's... You two need a lesson in women."

"I'm stood right here." Adriana pouted, Rebekah briefly grinning at her before turning back to Elijah.

"Could the lesson not be yours to learn, Rebekah?" Elijah pointed out, rolling his eyes. "Didn't you damn one to an eternity to viciously antagonize the other?"

"Do those lunatics actually believe the prophecy?" Rebekah only scoffed, Adriana smirking when Elijah didn't answer and Rebekah turned to him accusingly. "You don't, do you?"

"Yeah, Elijah." Adriana mocked. "You don't, do you?"

"You'd be foolish to ignore the manifestation of these omens." Elijah only sighed.

"We can't be killed, Elijah!"

"This prophecy does state one of us will fall by family." He stated, not meeting Rebekah's eyes.

"Correlation does not equal causation." Adriana pointed out.

"Well, I would never harm you, you killed half the Navy rescuing me, Freya hates traitors..." Rebekah trailed off, suddenly wincing and rubbing her arm.

Elijah didn't notice.

But Adriana did.

"Yes, Freya." Elijah nodded, Adriana watching Rebekah carefully. "Let's not forget her allegiance to Finn. I do want to trust her, but..."

"So, that leaves Nik. Do you think he's learned his lesson about backstabbing his family?"

"Oh, I think he learns that lesson all the time." Elijah only sighed, removing the nozzle from the cars tank and returning it to the station. "He's just a terrible student."

"Do you ever want to just rip out his heart and see how long it takes to grow back?" Rebekah asked suddenly, her eyes unfocused and darkened with hunger.

"Eight hours." Adriana informed, not at all fazed by the sudden appearance of Rebekah's vampiric features. "I did it too Elijah once. It takes eight hours."

"What is it?" Elijah asked frowning with worry. Slowly, Rebekah lifted up her left sleeve to reveal a skull shaped seal on the inside of her wrist.

"Well, that looks painful." Adriana commented, resisting the childish urge to poke at the painful looking mark.

"Marvelous." Rebekah groaned in annoyance. "What do you get the girl who has everything this Christmas?" Looking even more worried than before, Elijah pulled out the enchanted stake that Aya had used and held it next to the blistering wound on her wrist. Revealing that the skull symbols matched perfectly. "A cure to a magical mark growing on her bloody arm."

"Nope!" Adriana suddenly exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air and resisting the urge to repeatedly slam her head into the car window. "Nope! Nope! No thank you! The minute we get back to New Orleans, you are dropping me back home. I'm not dealing with this."

Opening up the doors to the penthouse, Adriana almost choked at the sight of a large Christmas tree.

"I said medium." She scolded, though the laughter was clear in her voice. "This- this is not medium."

Davina glanced at them from where she stood on a chair, carefully hanging the glass baubles around the tree. Ulrik sat eyeing the presents under the tree, fidgeting slightly where he sat though a bright smile lit up his features when he saw Adriana.

"Mama!" He cried, reaching up towards her. " _Regali! Regali!_ "

"Mama has just returned, _fratellino_." Davina chastised from where she stood on her ladder, a baby blue bauble in her hand as she stared contemplatively at the tree, "You can not open your presents until later."

" _Sorella_ …" Ulrik whined, Adriana picking him up with a laugh.

" _Fratellino_ …" Davina mimicked, turning back to the tree and hanging the bauble a little way to her left.

"Tayte." Adriana continued to prod. "Why have we gat a massiv-"

"Adri, my darling." Tayte sighed. "I say this with upmost respect, but please, live a little."

"I can't." Adriana deadpanned, though laughter sparkled in her eyes. "I'm dead. Vampire, remember?"

"You're not funny."

"I know." Adriana stated, a grin stretching across her face. "I'm hilarious."

Tayte just shot her a pointed look.

Shrugging him off, Adriana leisurely ran her hands through Ulrik's blond hair, ruffling up the short strands with a soft smile.

"What did you do today?" She asked the bouncing toddler, his blue eyes lit with joy.

"Oh, Tayte and _sorella_ got a present for Mama. It-"

"I thought you promised not to tell your Mama." Tayt interrupted, before Ulrik spilled Adrianas surprise to the woman.

Laughing lightly, Adriana helped Davina step down from the ladder.

"How are you, little light?" She asked, noticing the other girls quietness.

Davinas shunning had left the teenager in tears while Adriana had been furious. Spending the night hissing and screeching at Tayte about the benefits of killing all the elders in New Orleans.

Not one of her proudest moments.

Though Adriana did still believe that the action had more benefits then consequences.

"I'm fine," Davina smiled back at her. "We're Mafiay, We always have the last word. No matter how long it takes."

Davina is still devastated, no matter how much she tries to hide it.

Adriana may look stupid, with doe like eyes and emmaculate nails, but she's not.

She keeps one eye on Davina throughout the next few hours, when Ulrik is laid down for a nap and when Tayte brings out a bottle of champagne.

"Merry Christmas, _il mio famiglia_ …" Adriana smiled brightly, raising up her hand in toast.

" _God jul._ " Tayte nodded, raising his glass with her.

" _Buon Natale."_ Davina grinned, lifting her glass with them.

"Merry Christmas!"

As their glasses clinked together, a weight Adriana didn't know she had lifted off of her shoulders.

She would allow nobody to ruin this.

"A letter came for you." Tayte commented, handing a pristine white envelope with a red wax seal to Adriana. "Looks important."

The smile instantly fell from Adrianas face as she tore open the seal and frantically scanned through the contents.

"Mama?" Davina questioned putting down her glass. "Mama, whats wrong?"

"I'm going to kill him." Adriana growled lowly, clenching at the expensive paper. " _I'm going to kill him_."

"You said you wanted a happy family Christmas." Jackson told Hayley, gesturing around him. "Well, the family's all here."

"Hello!" Adriana sang, Ulrik tightly gripping onto her hand as they walked. While a big smile was on her face, her eyes looked almost haunted. "I'm so sorry to interrupt this perfectly sane family gathering." Everyone knew that she wasn't. "But I have a little man who wants to give someone a present."

"Thank you for helping Freya." Klaus stated, handing Jackson a glass of wine while Ulrik shuffled his way to Elijah. "Unfortunately, we're all out of mason-jar moonshine."

" _Regali_." Ulrik stated, Elijah keeling down so he was on the same level as the small boy. "For Papa."

"It's present in English." Adriana corrected, her own Italian accent dimming with age though still noticeable in her voice. "You have a present for Papa, Ulrik."

" _Regali_." Ulrik nodded, grinning up at her cheekily as Adriana sighed. "Mama didn't want to come."

"Really?" Elijah asked, raising an eyebrow as Ulrik hummed in confirmation.

"Yep." Ulrik nodded, Adriana scoffing and looking away from Elijahs inquisitive eyes. "Mama didn't want to interrupt Papas Christmas with his family! She said it would be rude. She says that you don't get to see family often, that true Papa?"

A look of horror dawned itself on Adrianas face as the small toddler spilled her secret. However, Ulrik had already gotten the dynamite ball rolling.

"Yes." Elijah nodded, facing Ulrik's question. "It's rare me and my siblings are gathered in a peaceful place."

Ulrik nodded, pretending he had any idea what Elijah was going on about.

He didnt.

"Well, Nik, you are positively merry tonight!" Rebekah exclaimed, drawing Adrianas attention to the blonde female Original. Her eyes quickly caught sight of Cami. "All that therapy must be paying off."

"Oh, no." Klaus whispered, looking horrified as he caught sight of the large metal bowl full of burning wood that had been set up on the other side of the large room.

"Come on." Rebekah grinned, Adriana trying to hide her laughter at the hybrids expression. Even Rebekah looked even more pleased by how terrified Klaus looked at the prosepect of a family bonfire. "It's tradition!"

"Tradition?" Cami asked, looking around in confusion.

"We write our wishes and then burn them for luck." Klaus sighed heavily, already looking defeated. "Strangely, I don't recall wishing for an influx of enemies, and yet year after year..."

"How odd." Elijah smirked, ruffling Ulrik's hair and accepting the present as he stood up for, his crouch. "Forever on Santa's naughty-list."

While the sibling spoke and threw their wishes into the bonfire, Adriana walked over to Hayley. Ulrik watched his mother carefully, his eyebrows furrowing in concentration as he tried to match her confident strides across the room, his head tilted up in imitation of her perfect posture.

Clearing her throat and focusing her attention on Hayley, Adriana stood tall while she spoke. "Tayte has mentioned that I was a little… presumptuous in my judgement of you."

Hayley only stared back at her in shock.

"Look," Adriana said through gritted teeth, her hands brushing through Ulrik's blond hair as the toddler awkwardly shuffled his feet next to her. "I probably like you as much as you like me. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't feel like I had to. So, I'm-" Adriana glanced down at Ulrik. " _I'm sorry_."

Her words were biting and only held a few drops of sincerity, but Hayley noticed how Adriana continued to play with her adopted sons hair, not looking at the other woman.

If Hayley had known Adriana any less than she did, she would almost say that the woman looked nervous.

With something that seemed to be the mixture of a laugh and a sigh, Hayley held out her hand.

"Hi, my names Hayley."

Taking her hand, Adriana unthreaded her fingers from Ulrik's hair. Ushering the boy to play with his cousin.

"My names Adriana." After a sweet second, Adrianas eyes narrowed back to their usual condescending gaze and sharpness. "I swear to the Gods, if your going to start hugging me of all things…"

Hayley couldn't help but laugh.

Walking through the cobblestone streets of New Orleans, Adriana wrapped her coat tightly around her, burying her nose into her scarf when her breath began to fog in front of her.

Her eyes brightened as she glanced up at the stars above her. Stars rarely ever changed, they stayed shining in the sky staring down at the world as it changed and died. They were the same stars she saw when she arrived in New Orleans all those years ago. They were the same stars that watched her run through blood red rose gardens with Demetri all those years ago.

Yet, while stars remained the same, the world forever changed around her.

Adriana had watched while Prussia rose to glory and fell from it. She had watched as England grew from a tiny island to controlling most of the world. She watched in amazement as ordinary men made historic advances in science and philosophy. She watched as life moved on while she stayed the same.

No one lived as long as Adriana had without going a bit insane.

Wrapped up in her own thoughts, Adriana didn't notice a frozen Elijah standing in the middle of the street before it was too late.

About to open her mouth to give the frozen figure a piece of her mind, Adriana stopped herself when she noticed Elijahs broken eyes and trembling hands.

"Oh, Elijah." Adriana whispered, a look of horror filling her once bright features. "Elijah, what have you done?"

Elijah didn't look at her.

"Elijah? Warrior, I can't help you if you don't even look at me."

Looking down at her, Elijahs features quickly turned grave.

"The prophecy is real." He whispered, his voice cracklings with horror. "Rebekah has fallen by family."

"Oh, warrior…"

Adriana said nothing as she gently ran her hand down Elijahs face, allowing him to rest his head on the top of hers.

"If the world is a stage then fear and love are the closest of friends." Adriana hummed to herself, gently running her fingers through Elijah's hair. "For what we love, we also morbidly fear to a certain measure. Our love can drown and save us. Our love can be our closest ally and yet our worst enemy. Our love could be poison and yet we would still drink it."

"You cannot fear and love at the same time." Elijah scoffed into her hair, his hands tightening around her shoulders, "it is impossible. Contradictory."

"Why not?" Adriana asked, her voice coming out as a soft purr as she let her hands fall from his hair. "You do."

Elijah glanced down at her. He saw the fragility of high cheekbones, and the naïvety in the soft brown waves of her hair. Yet, he also saw the power. The fire in her eyes and the tension hidden deep within in her tan shoulders.

She was both deceptively elegant and fiercely dangerous.

In that moment, in that single second, he could not have denied her anything. If she asked for the head of his brother, of Hayley, he would've happily knelt on his knees and given it her.

It terrifies him, the power she has over him, just ever so slightly.

When she returns to the penthouse, Adriana is shaking. She trembled like a leaf in a thunderstorm, a hands reaching and pulling st air before she managed to even touch the doorknob and close the door.

Closing her eyes, she ignored Vladimir's watchful gaze as he leaned against the wall next to the door.

"You promised me." She whispered, keeping her eyes closed. "You promised me that you wouldn't act out."

"Mother-"

" _Silencio."_ She snapped, her eyes snapping open and her heels sharply clicking against the floor as she suddenly straightened from her tired slouch. "Vladimir, for once in your entire immortal existence will you be quiet."

"Of course, Mother."

Adriana snarled and hissed as she circled around him, allowing her hands to trail around his chest as she walked.

"Tell me, Vladimir." She hissed, stopping behind him. "What did I do to the last person that betrayed my word?"

Valdimir didn't reply, nor did he turn around. Choosing instead to stare blankly into the distance.

Snarling lowly, Adriana struck out, digging her long nails into his neck and dragging him down to his knees, kicking at his tail bone when he made no resistance to her commands.

"Fight me." She growled, tightening her grip on his throat as she spoke. "Fight me like you did the Strix, dig your claws into my skin just as you did to them. Fight me!"

"No Mother." Vladimir refused, his eyes still blank as her nails dug further into his throat.

"Of course…" Adriana trailed off sighing slightly as she eased her grip on him. "I've trained you far too well."

Vladimir remained silent, though the tension in his shoulders uncoiled slightly as she spoke.

Laughing slightly, Adriana bent at the waist, fully retracting her hand from his neck as she smiled softly.

"Vladimir, my darling impaler." She sighed, softly stroking his cheek with her slightly bloody hand. Suddenly, with the movement of a coiled viper, Adrianas nails dug into the skin of his cheek, blood dripping down his face as she tugged him closer. "Get out of my sight before a rip out your vocal chords. Am I understood?"

"Crystal, Mother."

"Go."

Vladimir was gone before she fully finished the command.

"I thought you changed." A strong and tense voice spoke up, Adriana glancing behind her to fall into Tayte's cold blue stare.

"Nobody ever really changes."

"If that was the case, then somewhere deep inside your still that little girl from Italy. Or are you still the devoted mother that lost her husband in the New World?"

Adriana said nothing, choosing to walk past him with fresh blood still dripping from her nails.

Tayte was right, not that'd she would ever admit it.

She had to leave her beloved children before this got out of control.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Luciens cleverly worded letter sitting abandoned on the oak table. She picked it up with bloody fingers, rough out her phone, and dialled the number on the card.

"Lucien." Her voice was calm and cold. "It's me. I agree to your terms."


	44. To Love A Monster

**AN: Hello! First of all, I'd like to give a big thank you to MoonLunacy for helping me *conffetti canon explodes in the distance* Secondly, as per request, all scene skips are now indicated with a little ... to hopefully make reading 'Broken Strings' a little more easier. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **To Love A Monster**

* * *

 **In which it is a new day**

* * *

"Davina…" Adrianas voice is soft, coated in fatigue as dusk leaks through the crack in the curtains. "Little light…"

Davina only sits with her back to her staring at the unlit candle on the coffee table.

Adriana slides next to her eldest child with a small sigh, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees. Both of them stare at the unlit candle and Davina's hands begin to tremble more violently as she carves her nails into her palms. Adriana says nothing and runs her fingers against the green silk of her nightshirt.

"What is done is done," Adriana eventally speaks, her eyes moving from the candle and to Davina's face. "You cannot change the past no matter how you wish too."

Davina's pained eyes fall from the candle. With a soft smile, Adriana picked up the lighter that rested on the table and lit the candle, casting the large room in a soft glow. Golden rays flickered above their heads and the pink sky of early morning could be seen through the curtains.

"It's a new day." Adriana whispered staring out the window. "It's always a new day. No matter what you do, no matter how bad it is, tomorrow is always a new day."

"Does it ever get better?" Davina whispered, her voice grating as she tried to hold back tears.

"I don't know." Adriana answered honestly.

Davina's head burrows into the crook of her head as the teenager sobs at the loss of her power, of the betrayal she faced. Adriana ran her hand through her hair as she cooed softly into the early morning air. Humming a low tune under her breath that reminded Davina of long summer nights and clothes from centuries ago. Adriana burrows her nose into Davina's hair and pretends that everything is okay, that she's just an Italian peasant raising a child that everyone hates. Davina closes her eyes and dreams of lush green fields and red roses offered by demons with forest green eyes.

That's how Tayte and Ulrik find them later that day, curled up around each other on the couch as a candle flickered out in front of them, and the morning sun illuminated their similar features.

Adriana loved her daughter, she loved her nine hundred years and she loved her still.

So, when Tayte hands Davina a coffee while balancing Ulrik on his hips, he does so with a grin on his face.

"Good morning, _lille kattunge_." He said, ruffling her hair as she stood up.

And it is a good morning.

 **...**

"Mother…"

"Mother, please!"

"You can't do this."

"You'll find that I can." Adriana stated, refusing to meet anyone's eyes as she stated at the floor. "The Oscuritá are officially no longer under my rule. I wish you all out of New Orleans before the week is done."

"It's them." Kouu growled into the room, his heavily tattooed arms folded against his chest. "Mother, we can fight and we will kill. We've subdued them before, and we can do so much more again."

"Not we when have both The Strix and every witch, dead and alive, on us the very second we move slightly too quickly." Adriana denied, continuing to stare at the floor. "I won't take that risk."

Hippolytas mouth opened and closed, panic dawning on her features. Vladimir had his hands curled into fists, glaring at the door as if he wanted to run out and kill another group of witches and Strix. Jack sat on the floor, his knife falling limp in his hands. Kouu stared at Adriana, burning holes into the back of her skull.

"You have a week to leave New Orleans." Adriana stated flatly, turning around and making her way out of the door. "Contact me if there is any problems with the transition, but don't step foot in New Orleans for at least another decade."

Kouu catches her hand before she can leave.

"Mother," Vladimir's voice comes out as a whisper behind her as Kouu stares her down and Hippolyta tries to quieten her sobs. "Mother, don't do this…"

"Don't do this?" She asked, her voice coming out as a hiss as she pulls her hand out of Kouu's hold. " _Don't do this?_ Where was your concern for our family when you and your segment _slaughtered_ half a coven of witches in cold blood? Where was your love when you picked a fight with the Strix, masquerading in _my_ name? Where was your desperation when you destroyed _my city_ for the _fun_ of it?"

Kouu, Hippolyta and Jack slowly turned to stare at Vladimir in horror, while Vladimir only stared back at Adriana.

"I thought-"

"You thought wrong."

"You always were too nice, Mother." Jack sneered, emerging from the shadows of the room with his knife in hand. "Maybe I should finish this ongoing problem once and for all? If the troublemaker is dead than the Oscuritá stays, no?"

"The witches have already decided," Adriana stated. "There is no turning back now."

Jack's grip on his knife tightened and his eyes darkened further.

"Come with us," Hippolyta begged, her hands grasping for Adriana as she spoke. "Leave this city behind and come with us. Please Mother, don't leave us like this. Don't let everything you worked for collapse just because of one mans actions."

"No." Adriana denied. "This is my city, my home, and I will not run away. I'm not Niklaus, and I will not run away from anything."

"You couldn't take me on." Vladimir hissed at Jack, the prior rising to his full height. "You've barely got a century to your name."

"No he doesn't." Kouu stated, his voice low and almost a growl as his fists clenched. "But I have nine to mine, and you barely have six to yours Vladimir."

"And I have seven to mine." Hippolyta sneered, stepping forward to stand next to Kouu. "You may be able to take one of us on and escape with your life Vladimir, but two of us?"

"Mother-"

"And now you show me respect?" Adriana sighed, playing with her nails with boredom painting on her face.

"Mother, you can't do this." Vladimir said, panic beginning to seep into his voice as Kouu calmly cracked his knuckles. "This isn't fair."

"My beautiful Vladimir," Adriana smiled gently, using the voice she commonly used on Ulrik to calm him down after a screaming fit. "This stopped being fair the second you decided to not only betray your family, but slaughter innocent children as well. Call this karma if that appeases your soul."

Hippolyta's frenzied hiss filled the room, and Adriana rested her hand in the doorknob with a smirk as Vladimir's eyes grew large in realisation.

There is only one rule in the Oscuritá; never harm innocent children.

Vladimir had broken that rule, and now he had to pay the price.

"I want you out of New Orleans by the end of the week." Adriana stated the doorknob twisting in her hand. "Kouu, you're in charge."

"Vladimir, as the newly oppointed leader of Oscuritá, I, Kouu, the first son of the Mother of Nightmares, charge you with treason and the disgrace of our one sacred rule, to never harm a child."

"Mother-"

"Silence, little boy." Adriana could hear Hippolyta snarl.

"You're punishment is for your limbs to be removed slowly-"

"Mother, please!"

"Oh, I'm going to enjoy this." Jack whispered, a happy sigh filling the closed off room.

"And your hollowed eyes to be stuffed with vervain until half of your face is unrecognisable, your empty sockets were limbs once were will be stuffed with vervain to prevent any healing." Kouu continued, his voice portraying no emotion as they slowly closed around Vladimir. "Then, we will stuff your mangled torso into an unopenable casket and drop you at the deepest point of the ocean where you will drown until you have starved to death."

" _Mother!_ "

"This is the promise of the Oscuritá."

Adriana shut the door just in time to see Vladimir's eyes stare back at her in horror as her three children descended upon him with all the fury of hell on their side.

It was a beautiful sight to see.

"Well, that was dramatic." Lucien spoke up from where he leaned back in his overly large leather chair, a smirk on his face.

He caught Adrianas hand when it was a hairs width away from his face.

They both stood in Luciens grand apartment, Vladimir's shouts muffled by layers upon layers of expensive sound proofing walls.

"Now, now Ms. Mafiay." Lucien tutted, rising to his feet, "and I thought we were friends."

"I'd never join you." Adriana hissed, frowning when he refused to let go of her hand. "I'd much rather slit my own throat."

"So, I give you the information of Vladimir's betrayal all for nothing." Lucien sighed, stroking the side of her hand while he thought. "That isn't very nice of you, Adriana. What do I get in return?"

"Nothing." Adriana spat, letting her arm fall when he finally let her hand go. "You get nothing, but my forgiveness for a comment I should kill you for."

Turning in her heel, Adriana glared at Lucien through narrowed eyes as he stared back at her.

"Send me the bill if they break anything of importance." She commented, a polite smile lifting her features despite the darkness in her eyes.

 **...**

Tayte is not exactly an excellent parental figure.

His eyes are too sharp and his body to large for a child to ever be fully comfortable around him. However, as he held onto Ulrik with large hands and stared back at Davina, Tayte thanked his ability to make everyone he saw uncomfortable.

"That," Tayte started, his voice blank even as Ulrik prodded his face with small fingers, "is the most stupid idea I have ever heard." Davina's eyebrow rose slightly. "Has it ever crossed your mind that she's trying to get you killed? Hm?"

Davina didn't speak, nor move from where her hand was on the door.

"Oh, you and Adriana are definitely related." He muttered under his breath, ice blue eyes warming slightly as he looked at Davina. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

It's a variation of an age old saying Davina had heard many times when she was younger; _dad says yes, but don't tell mum._

Tayte is not exactly an excellent parental figure. He can hole himself into his office for days, and keeps too much strong alcohol on the shelves of his kitchen to be considered healthy. Put next to a woman like Adriana, he feels out of place and out of his normal depth.

He's the reincarnation of a Viking who had a small wife most used to nickname the mad harpie of the New World. He's good with swords, and the physics of engineering, not children.

He does try his best though, and the smiles he gets in return are worth all the alcohol he has to throw away.

 **...**

Adriana's stilettos clicked as she walked across the stone floor, a small sneer on her face.

"Tacky." She commented under her breath, Elijah glancing down at her with a strong look. "What? I just thought I'd say what we're both thinking."

"Don't be rude." Elijust muttered back to her, his eyes straight ahead as Aya led them.

"What's rude is them forcing _me_ to come here without expressing an actual reason for my presence." Adriana huffed, nails tapping against her thigh as she walked. "How much money do you want to bet their trying to kill us?"

"Adriana."

"Just saying…"

"We've searched for a seer for decades." Aya spoke as she led them into a stone room with a pool at the centre. "Ultimately, we have made a rather startling discovery. Ariane, come forward, please."

Adriana watched as a young platinum blonde haired woman stood to her feet and walked over to them, staying at Elijah curiously before her eyes landed on Adriana, surprise taking over her features.

"This is your secret weapon?" Elijah asked, skeptical of Ariane's supposed powers.

"She's untrained, of course, but she's shown a spark of talent." Aya promised them. "Which, in itself, is unbelievably rare."

"And what do you want from me?" He asked suspiciously.

"Witches like Ariane spend years absorbing all manner of information." Aya explained to him. "They see patterns in the chaos, in part because they view history as a whole. Sadly, we don't have that kind of time."

"You're not meant to be here," Ariane commented, staring right at Adriana. "Your spirit is supposed to be at peace…"

"Bad luck, I suppose." Adriana replied, her head tilting as she watched the girl eye her nervously.

Something about Ariane reminded Adriana of Davina. Powerful witches, young and beautiful features…

"Water will act as a conductor, allowing me to enter your mind." Ariane explained, breaking out of her stupor and turning to Elijah. Adriana accepted the cloak handed to her watching Ariane hesitantly. "To know everything you know, to understand everything that you've learned in a thousand years." Ariane walked into the pool, fully clothed in a long black dress. "Think of it as a crash course into your mind, garnering just enough information to answer the only question that matters."

"That's nice and all dear," Adriana interjected, stepping forward slightly with Ariane's cloak still bundled in her arms, "but I still don't understand why I'm meant to be here."

"Magic never comes for free," Ariane explained, her black dress clinging to her body as she turned to face Adriana. "We need a sacrifice that has a deep connection to Elijah, a catalyst to speed up the reaction."

"I'm not the best person for that." Adriana stated, her small smile on her face as she stood on the edge of the pool.

"I think you are," Ariane contradicted, one of the nearby witches handing Adriana a ceremonial knife. "In fact, I think you are the only one."

Staring at the ceremonial knife in her hand, Adriana glanced up at Elijah who was watching Ariane in interest. Sighing softly, Adriana dropped the cloak next to her and hovered her hand above the surface of the pool, the ceremonial knife was cold against her palm as she dragged her hand across the metal, allowing several drops of blood to fall into the water before her hand healed.

Several witches muttered s chant behind her, Ariane reached for Adriana's hand, as she too muttered several phrases in Latin under her breath.

"This better be worth it." She told Elijah, holding her bloody hand to her chest once Ariane had let her go.

Watching as he descended into the pool, Adriana watched as Elijah fell into the water, her eyes meeting his one last time before he went under, and that's when the screaming started.

 _Everything. Elijah remembered everything as Ariane searched through his every memory._ _Most importantly, he remembered Adriana._

 _"Elijah." A soft laugh found his ears and sunlight met his eyes. "Elijah, wake up!"_

 _Small hands danced in front of his vision, and an old dress made of blood orange danced under his eyes as small tan hands pressed against his chest._

 _Adriana's smiling eyes found his._

 _She was hovering on top of him, waist length hair falling past her shoulders in a soft wave, brown eyes sparkling with something he had long acknowledged dead to Adriana. Her lips are bare, a soft pink instead of the red she usually put on them. Her cheeks are flushed slightly, and her laugh is bubbling in his ears. The dress she wears is a blood orange, falling around her in one big swarm of cloth. A simple hair decoration rests around the crown of her head, the intricate chain of metal disappearing into her hair._

 _She's so small, and so human in a way he had almost forgotten._

 _The scent of her fresh blood floods his smell, mixing perfectly with the scent of fresh grass, lilies, and lavender._

 _She's human, with a body he could easily wrap up in his arms. Fresh blood flows under her skin, and her body feels unusually warm next to his._

 _"Elijah?" An inquisitive finger pokes at his face. "Elijah, are you all right?"_

 _"Perfectly fine, gypsy girl." He can hear himself saying._

 _"Are you sure?" Concern filled Adriana's eyes and her lips thinned, "maybe you have stayed in the heat for too long…"_

 _"Perfectly fine…" He muttered lazily, stretching out over the grass._

 _"If you say so." Adriana nodded, falling back next to him, letting his fingers interlace with hers._

 _Bringing her hand to his lips, Elijah watched how Adriana glowed in the mid-day sun._

 _He would give her the world._

Ariane rifled through his memories without mercy, barely letting Elijah enjoy the second of peace he had in his grasp. The memory is ripped from him quickly, and he watches all the murders he has committed all over again.

When it's over, he jerks upright in the pool and he could hear Adriana calling for him.

"Get him out of there." Adriana yelled at Aya, her clawed hands curling into fists as Elijah awoke with a scream. "Elijah!"

Panic increases the pitch of Adriana's voice, the water splashing and ripples occurring as Adriana glided across to where he stood in the water, breathing heavily.

"Elijah?" An inquisitive finger poked at his face. "Elijah, are you all right?"

Elijah opens his eyes with a blink, the original breathing heavily from where he looked down at her.

"Perfectly fine," he smiled, as if something amusing had just occurred. Under the water, Adriana felt an arm wrap around her waist.

"Did you see it?" Aya asked, appearing slightly frantic. "The weapon?"

"All your family has endured; and yet the worst is still to come." Ariane whispered, staring at Elijah with large, terrified eyes. "An unending darkness lies before you. A lone figure. A pale horse. A flame that will burn you all."

"How lovely…" Adriana muttered to herself, feeling Elijah's arm tightened around her waist.

 **...**

Adriana sat back with Ulrik in her lap, a melancholy smile on her face.

Elijah had talked to her about what had happened, specifically the memory in the field.

Did she remember it?

Oh, who did he take her for? Of course she remembered it.

She had been so young, about a year before the hunters had stuck a dagger in her back and ruined her life. She had loved him then, she would have happily given her life for his safety.

Nothing perfect lasts forever.

So, when she had a dagger in her back and Elijah stared down at her with panicked eyes, Adriana remembered something that Demetri would whisper into her neck on long winter nights alone in her bed.

 _Destroy something before it can destroy you._

"What does it mean to love a monster?" Adriana whispered, lamenting the thought in honour of her human self. "Can a monster love you back?"

The ringing of her phone broke her out of her philosophy, the sound causing Adriana's eyes to snap to the kitchen table.

Speak of the devil, and the devil may come.

"Hello Elijah." She said, answering the phone with a small shushing gesture to Ulrik. "What? Of course, I'll meet you there."

 **...**

She followed Elijah through the stone halls, silently slipping into the room where Ariane sat alone with herb said in front of the large pool from earlier.

"You found it. Which means you've come to kill me. We both know I have no more answers to give you, and you cannot allow me to live with what I've seen..." Ariane's voice broke slightly as she spoke, as if she was holding back tears. "The things you keep hidden."

"I'm sorry." Adriana apologised, her blood red lips parting as if to say more before they closed again.

Oh Dio, Davina was around her age.

"Don't be, I am released." Ariane whispered back to her, Elijah brushing the blonde strands of her hair away from her neck.

"You can love a monster," Adriana contemplated quietly, feeling poetic as Elijah's fangs dug into Ariane's neck. The girl shrieking in pain as Adriana continued, "and it can even love you back," Elijah's fangs slowly unlatched from her neck, blood still coating his lips as he pushed Ariane into the pool. "But that doesn't change its nature…"

The water around Ariane began to stain a dark crimson, and Adriana felt Elijah's fingers brush across her cheek before he left the room.


	45. Power

**AN: Hello! Well, this chapter came out faster than expected! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Power**

* * *

 **In which Adriana wrote the whole game**

* * *

"My witches have made a discovery." Aya called out, looking around the room at the other Strix members with a serious expression. "Whatever it was, Elijah clearly wants it to remain hidden. We can only assume a weapon is in play, and that all of our lives are at risk. We will not rest until that weapon is under our control."

"Hello, everyone." Elijah stated, entering the room with a smug smile and a scroll in his hand "Wonderful to see you all."

"Hello!" Adriana giggled, trailing after him, her expensive stillettos clicking sharply on the floor.

"Aya, don't we look so very comfortable indeed, leading Tristan's little circus." Elijah said, noting Aya's frustration at their arrival. "Sadly, one does not simply ascend to the position of leader. It kind of has to be by my consent." The Strix vampires started glancing uneasily at each other. "You see, I am the maker. The creator. The Founding Father. I am the one who chooses the leader here, and, fortunately for every last one of you, I have an excellent candidate in mind." Elijah casually spun on his heel to face Aya. "See, today is the day I take back what is mine." Adriana's muffled giggles swept around the room as Elijah paused for dramatic effect. "Do I hear any objections?"

The silence of the Strix members fell like a heavy weight on the room.

"So, ladies and gentlemen, the offer I extend to you is simple enough." Elijah smiled. "You follow me, I shall return you all to greatness."

"You're really just gonna come in here and start making demands?" Marcel scoffed loudly.

"Marcel, grown-ups are talking." Elijah stated, rolling his eyes and shushing Marcel.

"Don't be rude." Adriana sighed, clicking her tongue in disappointment. "He does have a point Elijah."

"Precisely Adriana," Elijah nodded, holding up the scroll in his hand. "Which brings me to this. Aya, how long has it been- eight, nine hundred years since you last saw this? For the uninitiated... The Charter of the Strix, written by... Oh, yes... Me."

Adriana rolled her eyes and sighed from where she stood, picking at her nails in boredom.

"And, it says here... 'It shall be my duty to uphold the tenants of the charter.'" Elijah hummed as he skipped through a few paragraphs. "Oh, this is important- 'In the absence of a worthy leader, charter shall be invoked and complete dominion shall be restored to... _Elijah and Adriana Mikaelson."_

Adriana only rose her eyebrows as all the eyes turned to her.

"What?"

"If you are determined to stake this absurd claim as founder," Aya stated, rolling her eyes as she spoke. "Then I invoke the rite of Ludum Regale."

"I'm sorry, does someone want to please explain what the hell that is?" Marcel asked.

"The Game of Kings." Adriana purred lowly. "I should know, I created the whole thing. The whole debating and politics was getting really boring and I was feeling mischievous. So I added an entire clause about competitors fighting to death. See," Adriana vamp-sped right next to Elijah, pointing at the Italian script at the very end of the scroll. "Right there. I had one of the other servants write it for me."

"Let's not do this, shall we?" Elijah said, turning to Aya.

"You cannot invoke one element of the charter and disregard the rest." Aya pointed out. "As it happens, I know the rules. After all, I helped you write them. If our leadership is in doubt and politics proves divisive, a contest of strength and cunning shall determine the line of succession. So, I challenge you to a duel. Whomever holds the charter at the stroke of midnight shall be the new leader of the Strix."

Next to Elijah, Adriana mouthed along with Aya, comically pulling stupid expressions as she continued.

"You would choose strength over cunning?" Elijah asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Do you accept?" Aya asked as she walked towards them.

"Oh, this is going to be good." Adriana whispered, leaning forward with a grin on her face.

 **...**

"Oh, we're really gonna do this?" Marcel asked as the group walked towards his fight club. "Oldest, most sophisticated society of vampires in the world, and we settle our disputes like kids on the playground at recess!"

"My sentiments precisely." Elijah stated, opening the door to the fighting cage and entering it. "Aya seems to disagree."

"Oh, come on." Adriana purred, a bright sparkle in her eyes at the promise of violence. "I was just starting to get excited."

Elijah politely held out his hand to help Aya up to the fighting cage, but Aya only glared before walking around him without touching him. Briefly setting the charter down, Elijah face Aya with a stern expression. Wrapping her fingers around the webbing of the cage, Adriana watched the two intently.

"I could order my brethren to fight on my behalf, such is their loyalty." Aya stated, throwing her jacket at Elijah, who caught it and threw it onto the chair next to the charter. "But we both know this is between you and me. Leadership must be earned, and one way or another, I will have that charter."

"Come get it." Elijah smirked, tilting his head at Aya in expectation.

 **...**

"I'm bored." Adriana sighed, resting her head in her hands. "No blood has been spilt, and no one has died. This is getting incredibly boring."

"What this is, is ridiculous." Marcel muttered next to her, crossing his arms as they continued to watch Aya and Elijah fight.

Turning her head towards him a smirk drifted onto Adrianas face.

"Marcel, littlest warrior," Adriana purred, mischief shining in her eyes, "how do you feel about a little change of plans."

"What do you have in mind?" Marcel smirked back.

The grin on Adrianas face widened.

"Are you quite done?" Elijah smirked smugly, breathing heavily from the fight.

"You'd have me submit?" Aya scoffed, she too breathing quite heavily. "Once again, I prove I have a mind of my own."

Adriana stood up from her seat a dark look crossing her features.

"Let's not make this more unpleasant than it needs to be." Elijah growled out, grabbing Aya in a chokehold when she lunged at him.

"After all this time... How could you think that we would follow you?" Aya gasped out, fighting against his string hold. "Do you think I wouldn't have found out? You were going to feed me to your crazy little wife! Oh, you're _darling_ little Adriana. The Goddess of Red. You left us for that-"

One moment Adriana was walking towards the cage, the next she had Aya out of Elijahs grip and on the floor. A stiletto placed calmly on Aya's chest.

"I'd suggest shutting your mouth." Adriana said coldly, her foot pushing Aya down when the vampire tried to get up. "If you were anyone else Ms. Aya, you're blood would feed my children." The foot dug deeper into Aya's chest, drawing blood. "Alas, I'm not as merciless as I used to be, don't make me change that."

Adriana's voice was deceptively calm as she spoke with Aya.

"You can't do this." Aya spat up at her. "You can't interrupt a Ludume Regale-"

"Oh, please shut up." Adriana interrupted, a singe hand resting on her hip as she crouched down, her right foot still planted firmly on Aya's chest. "I wrote the rules Aya. You can't beat me at my own game. The Ludume Regale specifies how the opposing leaders must fight to prove their strength. And, oh, guess what? Elijah and I are both running against you- you're argument is nullified."

She stepped off of Aya, allowing Elijah to address the Strix.

"All of you swore loyalty to a serpent who seized control of this fellowship, all in the name of furthering his tyranny." Elijah addressed the gathered Strix."

"Seize control?" Aya asked, her voice raising in octave as she began to sit up. "Is that how you rewrite history?"

"History is written by the victors." Adriana commented, watching Aya with dark eyes as the woman continued.

"You ran like a coward, leaving Strix to be slaughtered by your mad father."

"I had no choice." Elijah stated, refusing to back down.

"We all have a choice!" Aya shouted. "And that day, I watched as my fellow Strix were slaughtered by the dozens."

"I returned." Elijah shouted back, Adriana backing away from the two as Elijah lost his temper. This was his fight, not hers. "The moment I knew that my family was safe, I returned! To the horror... the wreckage, the corpses, the ruin. The devastation that I felt when I thought of your death."

"But I did not die!" Aya sneered.

"Unfortunately." Adriana muttered.

Thanks to the efforts of a true nobleman." Aya continued, shouting over Adriana's comment. "Tristan saved us! He earned our loyalty."

"Tristan is a vulture, a usurper who stole our very dream." Elijah growled, stepping forward in fury. "Violating everything that we once fought for, all in the name of the twisted crusade."

"Say what you will. You choose your own family always, your Adriana, above all." Aya sneered. "You're as cursed as them." Adriana didn't move as Aya shoved Elijah against the webbing of the cage. "This is Elijah Mikaelson, traitor to our cause. You know I would rather die than accept you as leader."

"Your darling Adriana…" Adriana mocked Aya as she pulled the woman away from Elijah. "I'm stood _right here_. I've grown tired of this behaviour. Warrior, if you could."

"A pleasure, Gypsy." Elijah nodded, taking Aya from Adriana and lifting the woman up by her neck. "If that's your ultimatum... then we accept."

Before he could do anything else, Aya and Elijah were knocked out of the cage and landed in a heap on the floor, and Adriana side-stepped Marcel as he ran past her. Appearing once more on the balcony with the charter in his hands.

"I thought you two were gonna talk each other to death." Marcel called out to them, Adriana stepping out of the cage with a flourish. "But, since this is my city, I say we play by my rules. So, catch me if you can. If not, come midnight, I'm in charge."

"Cunning littlest warrior." Adriana practically purred, growling at a Strix member that turned to glare at her.

 **...**

While Elijah talked to Marcel on the phone, Adriana appeared in Tayte's appartment with a large grin.

"Hold on to this for me." She smirked, throwing a brown leather package to Tayte who caught it with a raised eyebrow. "Where has Davina been?"

"Hung out with her new witchy friends. Came back late and collapsed in her bed." Tayte sighed, placing the package on the counter. "I tried to warn her."

"Obviously not well enough." Adriana scoffed, rolling her eyes as Tayte shot her a sour look. "Ulrik?"

"Asleep." Tayte said bluntly. "You do realise it's nearly midnight? Where have you been all day Adriana?"

"You'll find out, about… now." Adriana stated, opening the door before Marcel could even knock. "Well, what'd you know."

"Marcel?" Tayte asked, spinning around to face Adriana. "Adri, there better be a good explanation of why Marcel is in our house."

"And that's all the time we're gonna have folks," Adriana grinned, her voice chirping as she spoke. "Bye Marcel!"

Without any hesitation Adriana dragged Marcel to the large wall of window, carefully stepping onto the small balcony before hauling Marcel over the balcony rails.

"Adriana!" Tayte shouted, rushing to join her in the small balcony and peering over the edge. "Why did you do that?"

"He'll live." Adriana shrugged, watching Marcel land on the flight of metal stairs leading up the apartment building. "See?" Tayte just stared at her blankly. "You should probably answer the door."

With a mumble, Tayte stumbled into the apartment, tugging open the door with a frown.

"Elijah?" Tayte asked, blinking in confusion. "What are you- You know what I don't even want to know."

Elijah stared back at Tayte for a second, looking around the corridor for any sign of Marcel.

"It's midnight, Elijah." Aya stated, appearing behind him, she too glancing around the empty corridor. "Time's run out. According to our own laws, the contest is complete."

"Well," A voice came from behind them. "Good luck knowing the winner because I don't have it."

Both of them turned around to stare at Marcel, shock clear on their faces. Realisation dawned on Elijahs face, as he looked around.

"Where's Adriana?" He whispered, horror filling his features as he finally noticed Adrianas disappearance from the competition.

"Better question," Tayte started, a small frown on his face. "Why are you all still darkening my hallway? Get out of here."

"Right here!" A bright voice answered, a small giggle announcing Adrianas presence to the group as she stepped out from behind Tayte.

"Where's the charter Adriana?" Elijah demanded, a growl baritoning his voice.

"The charter," Tayte frowned, glancing down at Adriana with a playful glint in his eyes. "Hey, Adri, do they mean this thing?"

Lifting his hand up so everyone could see, Aya choked on her own breath as they saw that the charter was revealed to be held casually in Tayte's hand. Tayte has found the scroll in the leather bag Adriana had thrown at him.

Adriana hummed slightly, a smirk appearing on her face. "You know what Tayte, I think it is."

"Well, what'd you know?" Tayte grinned, both of them turning back to the three. "Who do you think we should give it to Adri?"

"How did you even do this?" Elijah asked, his eyes narrowed. "Marcel definitely had it the last I saw."

"The old _switcheroo._ " Adriana laughed.

"You can't do this!" Aya protested, stepping forward. "Just give me the charter."

"I don't think I want to do that." Tayte stated, his voice turning cold as his ice eyes turned to Aya and fixed her with a dark glare. "Adriana, darling, you were saying?"

"I just thought we should give our leadership to Marcel," Adriana purred calmly her arms folded in front of her. "He has shown his ability to be exceptionally cunning."

"Guess that makes me the winner." Marcel nodded, catching the charter as it was thrown to him by Tayte. The two still lingering in the penthouse doorway.

"Ridiculous." Elijah denied, ripping his eyes away from Tayte and Adriana. "This wasn't a contest. This was evasion and foul play."

"I had a little time to read your charter." Marcel stated calmly, Adriana giggling from behind her hand. "The Ludum Regale was never meant to be just a fistfight. Aspiring leaders face off in a contest that requires cunning. Why? Because you want a leader with more brains than brawn. Reason I beat you all is because I know every nook and cranny in the Quarter. Underground tunnels, secret passageways between properties... And, since I'm so charming, I get invited everywhere." Adriana only blinked, and Tayte only rose an eyebrow in slight surprise when Elijah thrust his hand into Marcels chest. "Hey-" Marcel choked out, continuing his speech through the pain, "you kill me, you are in violation of your own damn charter. Nobody's gonna follow your rules if you can't follow them yourself."

"He's right, Elijah." Aya sighed, stopping Elijah before the Original could rip Marcels heart out. "Let him go."

"I'm not the strongest one here, but I won the game." Marcel said through his coughing fit breathing heavily as Elijah let him go. Turning to address the crowd gathering on the stairs, Marcel smiled deviously. "I've been watching the Mikaelsons my whole life. Studied them since I was a kid. That's how I drove them out of New Orleans in the first place. Rebuilt this city in my image under my rules. Offered alliances to all of my friends, and got rid of everybody else. This is my city because I took it! That is what a leader does! If this prophecy that you're all afraid of is gonna happen, it's gonna happen here, on my streets. And if we're gonna stop it from killing us all, who's a better leader than me?"

"This is absurd." Elijah scoffed, rolling his eyes as Tayte turned to Adriana.

"Why are so many people in my hallway? Adriana, what have you listed us up for?"

"What? Why do I automatically get the blame!"

"Marcel has won." Aya stated, looking extremely unhappy with the turn of events. "Better to stand with him and fight to live than stand with you. You'll be little more than an afterthought. To the new leader of the Strix... Marcel Gerard."

From where she stood next to Tayte, Adriana burst out laughing.

 **...**

Curled up on a leather chair with Ulrik in her arms, Adriana watched Tayte, Marcel, and Elijah out of the corner of her eyes. Tayte had been pointing for a good half an hour after Adriana had invited Marcel and Elijah into the penthouse. The tall male grumbling under his breath about ex-husbands and former clients.

Marcel is at the bar, making a pair of drinks, when he suddenly calls out to an unseen man across the room]

"You had to punch your hand through my chest..." Marcel sighed, nursing a small glass of scotch.

"Oh, for the love..." Elijah trailed off, rolling his eyes at Marcels behaviour. "Marcel, I was in character. The moment took me. Besides, between that absurd contest and your master class performance."

"Thank you." Marcel smiled smugly.

"Adriana, why are they still here?" Tayte whined, not even bothering to mask his feelings at Elijah and Marcels presence.

"It's polite to invite our allies for a drink Tayte." Adriana chided, calmly playing with Ulrik's hair as the boy fell asleep. "Besides, do you even have friends?"

"I have friends." Tayte denied, shock painting over his features at Adriana's calm accusation. "Just because you don't see my friends Adri, doesn't mean I don't have friends."

"Of course dear." Adriana hummed non-committingly.

"They were beautifully distracted from this whole white oak business." Elijah continued with Marcel, raising his glass in a toast. "So... To the new Grand Poobah."

"Congratulations littlest warrior." Adriana smiled, pride shining in her eyes.

"Right. Uh, which, actually brings me to my next point." Marcel begin awkwardly, putting down his drink. "Even if I can control your friends, what about your enemies? If a sireline war heats up, the Quarter is gonna become a war zone."

"And now we have an army." Elijah smirked. "So, perhaps we can keep this wretched prophecy at bay."

"Oh, that's right." Marcel stated, annoyance entering his voice. "We fight so you live, because If Klaus falls, so do I. And if you fall, well, there go the Strix."

"Indeed." Elijah nodded, both of them turning to leave. "Try to keep those clowns in line."

"Come back soon." Adriana called after them, a large smile on her face.

"Please don't." Tayte muttered, knocking back the rest of his drink as their front door closed.


	46. Blood Red and Gold

**AN: The poem Adriana recites to Ulrik in this chapter is actually made up by me. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Blood Red and Gold**

* * *

 **In which Elijah and Adriana are more dangerous then they seem**

* * *

While out family is the most important thing to Adriana, that didn't mean her patience with her children was endless. She was a parent, but she was also a person, she had her breaking point. Moreover, she was used to having everyone bow to her whim, and her teeth ground together whenever someone looked down on her.

She was an Empress, a Queen Consort, and she would not sit there and be insulted.

"I'm trying to bring Kol back, and you sit there and tell me that I can't!" Davina continued to scream across the dining room table, Ulrik's cries and Tayte's shouting back peirced through her skull. "Do you not love him! I'm trying to help us all here!"

"What you're doing is getting yourself killed!" Tayte screamed back, his large hands splintering the table.

Adriana's hand tightened on her knife, and for the barest second she considered cutting out Davina's tongue if only it made her quiet.

But she wouldn't.

Adriana's love was like fire. She would keep you warm on a cold winters night, she would give her children everything and love them with all her heart, but it was always dangerous for children to play too arrogantly around fire.

As the screams raised again in volume and Ulrik's cries became higher, something in Adriana snapped.

Twisting the knife in her fingers, Adriana shoved the sharp metal utensil into the wooden table. The sharp clattering of plates falling onto the floor made everyone fall silent. Ulrik's cries stepping down into sobs.

Something in Adrianas head rung, and her fingers twitched.

She was the Goddess of Red, the Mother of Nightmares, the _Wife of Death,_ and she would not sit there and be _insulted_.

"Adriana?" Tayte asked, shifting in his seat.

"Don't speak." Adriana's voice was cold and her eyes were closed.

"Mama? Mama, surely you-"

"I said don't speak!" Adriana shouted, shooting up from her seat. "When I ask you to do something, you do it!"

Davina shrunk back in her chair, hiding away from her mother's wrath.

Adriana stared into Davina's eyes and all she could see was Demetri staring back at her.

"Davina." She growled out through clenched teeth. It wasn't the girls name, wasn't the name she had gifted her and yet she had insisted on being called that. "Cienna. My darling little light." The words fell like curses from Adrianas lips. "I love you, truly, I do. However, don't you dare question me. My decision is final, you will not return to those witches."

Adriana turned and began to walk away before Davina called out to her.

"I'm trying to save Kol!" Davina screamed at her retreating back, standing up from her own seat. "I'm trying to save my peaople. Do you even care about him? About me?"

"Don't you dare…" Adriana hissed, whirling around and pointing a shaking finger at Davina. "Don't you dare say I don't care! Of course I care! If I hadn't I would've gotten rid of you long before your first breath, I would've ripped open your neck the minute you ruined _everything_ for me!"

"Everything?" Davina scoffed, tears of frustration beginning to form in her eyes. "I ripped everything away from you? Yeah, well what about me? If it wasn't for you I would've never found myself in this mess!"

"Come back to me when everyone really hates you." Adriana hissed, taking a step with every sentence. "Come back to me when you can never step outside without stones hurled in your direction. Come back to me when your sexually manipulated by your partner, and threatened with your life. Come back to me when you lose your own child. Come back to me when you're trapped and emotionally abused by a man you thought you loved!" Adriana was screaming by the end of it, staring back at Davina with red eyes and tears running down her cheeks. "Come back to me when you've lived my life! Because I'm sure you wouldn't find yours so hard then!"

Davina stared back at Adriana, her own tears matching Adrianas in dramatic reverence.

"Why did you do it?" Davina asked brokenly, the resolve in her eyes breaking down. "Why put yourself through all of that just for me?"

"Because I love you." Adriana answered honestly. "And I love you enough to know that I can't stop you."

"Of course."

"This is your own mistake Davina." Adriana warned. "Summon Kol with the Hand of Glory, break the sire bonds for all I could care, but be warned how quickly this will turn sour for you."

"I know, Mama."

Adrianas stare is cold and unforgiving before, finally, she nodded in reluctant acceptance.

 **...**

Looking around the Mikaelson Compound, Adrianas eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.

"Anybody home?" She called out, glancing around her. "Hello?"

"Adriana!" A voice shouted out happily, Lucien appearing in front of her. "Any particular reason you're here?"

"Where's Elijah, Lucien?" Adriana asked coldly, crossing her arms.

"Never mind about that," Lucien drawled out, bending down so he was eye level with the brunette. "Why are you here?"

"It's Elijahs turn to look after Ulrik, he's four hours late and my son is in tears thinking his Papa forgot him when I assured Ulrik her would see Elijah tomorrow." Adriana's eyes narrowed, before she bent around Lucien. "Wait, is that-"

Sitting on a chair and looking over blueprints was Stefan Salvatore in the flesh.

"My least favourite Salvatore!" Adriana cheered, placing her hands over the blueprints and grinning mischievously at Stefan. "How are you? Wait, don't answer that, I don't really care. Where is Elijah?"

"Taken by a witch coven." Marcel answered for a dumbfounded Stefan.

"Well, that is… inconvenient for my plans." Adriana muttered, taking out her phone and tapping several numbers in, before holding it to her phone as she walked several paces away from the group. "Tayte? Yeah. No. Witches. Just tell Ulrik Papa is in a bit of trouble right now…"

"Could use one of these access tunnels to slip into a back room." Stefan was saying as Adriana rejoined the group. Lucien hummed unconvincingly as he leaned on the chair Stefan was sat on. "What? Worried about getting a little dirt on your thousand-dollar shoes?"

"Actually, I'll be doing most of the heavy lifting, since the vampires we're facing are, what?" Lucien's voice was dripping in sarcasm, a frown in his times your age? Is this really the best help we can get?"

"For once, I agree with Lucien." Adriana frowned, she too turning to stare at Marcel.

"Doesn't matter." Marcel waved off. "We're not getting their bodies back. Strix from all over the world are flying in to make sure this spell goes off. They're guarding every entrance and exit."

"Well, you're their leader." Lucien stated, making a face. "Call a meeting. Schedule a retreat. Order them to stop."

"I do that, Aya has no problem staging a coup." Marcel countered, shaking his head vigorously.

"Marvelous." Lucien sighed. "I guess it's on me to come up with our grand plan, then."

"No need, Lucien." Hayley declared, she and Freya walking in the room to join them. "Freya figured out a way to get the boys out of the chambre. She just needs a strong enough power source."

"I'd channel Finn, but he's all for letting our brothers perish." Freya stated, her eyes landing on Lucien. "So, I'll channel Lucien. The older the vampire, the better the battery."

Adriana subconsciously stepped away from Freya, eyeing her warily.

"We're going to buy her some time, keep the Strix occupied." Hayley said, glancing at Adriana curiously.

"Wait, so you want me here holding hands with the leftover sister while you take the toddlers and tackle the Strix?" Lucien scoffed, turning to Marcel. "You must be jok-"

Before Lucien could finish, Freya smirked and flicked her wrist calmly. Telekinetically snapping the vampires neck and watching in amusement as he fell back against the chair.

"Huh, that was impressive." Stefan commented, turning back to the blueprints.

"Well, I work better with quiet." Freya smiled.

"Wait, so the plan is that the three of us are gonna keep one hundred of the world's most ancient vampires occupied?" Marcel asked, glancing at Adriana with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, don't go looking to me for help." Adriana scoffed, running her hands through her hair and remembering her promise to Davina. "I promised my darling little light that I wouldn't interrupt her attempt of freedom, unlike _some_." At this she turned to stare at Marcel.

"All you have to do is get us to the front door." Stefan told Marcel, Adriana spinning on her heel and leaving the room with a scoff.

 **...**

Adriana was reading to Ulrik when it happened.

" _We are writers,_ " she recited the poem from memory calmly, brushing the fine blonde hairs on Ulrik's head into place as she spoke. The small toddler cuddled up to her side, blue eyes staring up at her happily. " _He said, as smoke escaped his lips. We spill our blood over the pages, and people mistake for poetry..._ " Her melodic voice was cut off by the sound of a phone ringing. "Well, I wonder who that could be, _soldatino_?"

Reaching over to her phone, Adriana stared at the screen with a raised eyebrow, humming lowly under her breath.

"What do you want Elijah?" She sighed, putting the phone on speaker.

"Many things." The Original answered vaguely, Ulrik squealing happily at the recognisable sound through the phone speaker.

"Papa." Ulrik said happily, making grabbing motions at the phone in Adrianas hand. "Papa!"

"Ulrik." Elijah greeted, the soft smile clear in his voice.

"Just cut to the chase, warrior." Adriana sighed, lifting the phone out of Ulrik's reach.

"You might want to pick your unconscious daughter up."

Adrianas voice was cold and deadly when she spoke. " _What?_ "

 **...**

"So, we remain connected, you and I, in spite of everything that you have done." Elijah told Aya, not even turning to her as he checked over an unconscious Davina, waiting for Adriana to arrive. "I can't let you hurt my family. And you can't hurt me more than you already have."

"I stood by you, Elijah. All of us were willing to die for you, and how did you repay it?" Aya said, an incredulous look on her face. "Betrayal. Abandonment."

"You were not forsaken. Yes, I failed you. For this, I will never forgive myself. But, I cannot forgive this." Elijah pulled out Aurora's revolver, which was filled with white oak bullets, waving it around the room as he spoke.

"If your life were chained to a man who left you despite your devotion... End this, please…" Aya trailed off, both of them glancing at the door when a voice scoffed loudly.

"Oh, honey." A soft voice purred out, Adriana speaking up from where she had stopped by the doorway. "You don't want to go talking about devotion in my presence."

"Gypsy." Elijah nodded, gesturing down to Davina. "Her pulse is steady, just keep her fed and hydrated."

"I know how to take care of my own daughter." Adriana grumbled stepping into the room and striding to kneel before Davina. "Oh, baby girl, what have you done to yourself? I tried to warn you."

"To more pressing matters at hand." Elijah sighed turning to Aya with narrowed eyes, dropping the gun and pulling a coin out of his pocket. "Adriana, heads or tails?"

Glancing up from her daughter, Adriana narrowed her eyes at Aya.

"Tails, she lives," Adriana stated, standing up from her crouch and staring coldly at Aya. "Heads, she dies."

With a hum, Elijah threw the coin in the air, catching it with practiced skill and pacing it on his hand, not looking at the result while they both stared at Aya.

"This is your last chance to run." Elijah stated coldly, when Aya didn't move he sighed heavily and glanced down at his hand. "Heads it is."

With emotionless eyes, Adriana watched Elijah rip out Aya's heart.

While Adriana was Empress, Elijah was the Emperor, and their thrones had been blood red and their enemies and cowered in fear of them.

Sometimes, when she was lying in the dark and staring at the blank ceiling high above her, Adriana missed those long days of blood and gold.

 **...**

Kol's arrival in Tayte's apartment is punctuated with the sound of a wine bottle shattering onto his head.

"Adriana." Tayte complained, Kol wiping the red liquid out of his eyes while Adriana stared at him, the broken neck of the wine bottle held tight in her grip. "Do you know how long I've been saving that?"

"Don't start, Tayte." Adriana grumbled, waving the broken neck in his direction. "You." She rounded onto Kol once more, pointing the broken bottle at him. "Have you seen your siblings yet?"

"No." Kol answered honestly, raising his hands in the air when Adriana pressed the bottle closer to his neck. "Woah, chill out Adri."

"Go see them, and stop dying while you're at it." She hissed, glaring at him. "It's inconvenient for my mental stability. Now, you." As she was finished with Kol, Adriana rounded on Davina, waving the broken bottle in her direction. "Where the hell have you been? You're supposed to be resting, yet when I check up on you, you've disappeared!"

"Leave the poor kids alone, Adri." Tayte sighed, speaking up before Davina had the chance to think up an excuse. "Excuse her, she's not good with dealing with actual emotions."

Tayte calmly side-stepped when Adriana threw the rest of the bottle in his direction. The maroon tinged glass shattering on the wooden cabinets behind him.

"No need to be cruel." Adriana stated calmly brushing off her hands as Tayte stared at her with a single raised eyebrow.

"You threw a wine bottle at me."

"Technicalities."

"Welcome to madness, Mikaelson." Tayte greeted, holding up his scotch glass to the Original. "Otherwise known as the Mafiay family."

 **...**

"You asked to see me." Adriana stated, leaning against the wall as Elijah entered the alley way.

"Klaus And Hope have left New Orleans." Elijah said bluntly, stopping a few feet away from her.

"That's it?" Adriana asked, humming slightly as she rested her head on the brick wall behind her. "If you came to state the obvious Elijah, then I might as well leave."

Pushing off the wall, Adriana moved to walk around Elijah, only to have him grab her arm.

"You came alone." He said, glancing around them. "I would've thought you'd bring someone."

"Ulrik and Tayte have gone to see the lights, Kol and Davina are most likely having sex somewhere." Adriana said, wrinkling her nose at the thought. "But I'd much rather eat vervain than think about the latter thing."

"How quickly they grow." Elijah hummed casually, letting go of Adriana's arm. "I saw it, you know."

"Saw what?" Adriana asked, turning to look at him with a raised eyebrow.

"That exact thought as it ran through you're head." Elijah said, Adriana's brown eyes narrowing at his vagueness. "The one of thrones made of blood and gold. Your eyes turn misty when you think about it, like how they used to be under that heavy golden crown you favoured so much."

"Like you were any better," Adriana scoffed, turning away from him with a small smile. "You used to parade around in silks made of the blackest ink and bare your teeth at anyone who mildly annoyed you."

"We were young." Elijah smiled back at her. Adriana tilting her head at him like a curious bird. "And I don't fault you for missing it."

"Just like I don't fault you for wanting it back." Adriana sighed, Elijah circling her carefully. "Do you ever tire of pretending you're the weaker brother?"

"Do you ever tire of pretending you have the ability to love?" Elijah countered, his hand trailing over her skin as he walked around her. "I've watched you rip into the stomachs of women who made a backhanded comment about you Adriana, don't pretend you are an angel compared to me.

"Just as I have watched you tear out the eyes of men who stared at me for too long." Adriana smirked not moving as he stopped in front of her. "How is your Hayley?"

"Almost ready to serve." Elijah murmured, his mouth inches away from hers as he leaned closer. "Alas, her spirit has broken and I fear she won't taste as good as she used too."

"Don't be cruel to the poor woman." Adriana tutted, holding Elijahs gaze steadily. "We agreed we wouldn't eat her."

"You agreed." Elijah corrected. "I had no say in the matter."

Adriana laughed under her breath, Elijah stepping away from her slightly and raising his head.

"If you ever feel like taking over a country again." Adriana smiled, her voice taking on a sickly sweet hum. "Bring me along, warrior."

"Wouldn't dream of doing it without you, gypsy."

 **...**

 _An Empress cloaked in the finest white silks sat poised on a blood red throne. The golden crown on her head weaving intricately into the long brown strands of her hair. A ruby the size of a regular mans fist lay against her chest. Her mist glazed brown eyes scanned over the court, her lips painted an unnatural shade of red. Her teeth are sharp and stained with blood, but next to him she is mercy._

 _An Emperor cloaked in silks as black as ink sat next to her, his hand running through the soft tendrils of the Empresses hair. His crown is elegant and silver, perching on his head like it was made to sit there. The sceptre sits lightly in his hands, the silver metal contrasting with the ink black cloth that covered him. His cold eyes watched the court silently, and the people know better to approach him. He is death in one singular form._

 _It is said that he ripped out the eyes of a man who stared at the Empress for too long._

 _The hopeful concubines and prostitutes of many lords skirt around the Empress carefully, watching her as they sashay over to the Emperor. He sends them all away with a cold glare, whispering something into the ear of the Empress which makes her laugh lightly._

 _The sound makes many lustful men hover closer to the thrones, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Empress under the layers of white silk hiding her body._

 _No one knows how long they have ruled, only they have been sat on the throne longer than even the elders can remember._

 _They are Gods, the people whisper to each other, Gods which have grown bored of the heavens._

 _The Empress hears them and leans further into her husband._

 _"My darling Adriana." The Emperor whispers to the Empress. "Michael draws closer."_

 _"He is looking for Klaus, Elijah." The Empress whispers back to him. "Not us."_

 _Nonetheless, they compell the elders and poison the city's water supply before they leave._

 _Just in case._


	47. Last Chance

**AN: Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Last Chance**

* * *

 **In which we go back to Mystic Falls**

* * *

"Never in all my life," Adriana started, folding her arms and staring out of the window, "have I heard something so _stupid_." Spinning around, she turned to face Kol and Davina. "What in the Gods name were you two thinking?"

Kol opened his mouth only to have Adriana cut him off.

"No, don't answer that." She stated,clicking her fingers in his direction. "The answer is that you obviously were not." Taking in a deep breath, Adriana watched as the two shuffled awkwardly. "Finn is a lot more dangerous than he may seem, he is the oldest Original and by default the strongest. You put you lives your lives on the line for revenge."

"Apologies, Mama." Davina mumbled, her head hung low while Kol stared back at Adriana.

"You're a thousand years old Kol," Adriana hissed, her stare turning to cold as she spoke. "Yet sometimes I think I am dealing with a seven year old with an ego problem. Don't put my daughter in the line for your childish antics."

"Of course, Adrianna." Kol said through gritted teeth, Adriana staring at him for several seconds before nodding slowly.

"If anything happens to my daughter because of your actions Kol." Adriana said slowly, her voice laced with poison. "I will make running from Klaus look like dealing with a puppy."

A tense silence fell onto the three, Kol staring back at Adriana with a tense jaw.

 **...**

Adriana sat curled up in a leather armchair, watching the recording of Vincent silently.

"Before they forced me to take her, they had me put up a cloaking spell, so we can't be tracked." Vincent said, his voice crackling slightly through the features. "Now, Lucien's taking us out of town someplace, I don't know where... but there's a loophole."

From where he stood leaning on Adrianas chair, Elijah paused the video. Adriana glancing back to Kol and Davina as Finn spoke.

"Just how am I the loophole?"

"Last year, when Esther first brought us back, I got put in the body of a gormless twit, but you got housed in one of the most powerful witch bodies in the city- Vincent's." Kol explained impatiently. "And, even after all this time, there's still an echo of a body-soul connection between you two."

With a hum, Adriana signalled Elijah to play the video.

"And Davina, that's where you come into play. I need a powerful witch that's off the Ancestors' radar." On the video, Vincent used a knife to cut his palm, leaving some of his blood in a small vial. "I want you to find the thread between me and Finn."

"Have you ever done anything like this?" Elijah asked, shutting off the video once more and turning to Davina.

"I don't even know if it's possible." Davina admitted holding up the vial. "But, I do have Vincent's blood. If I can take Finn's blood and do the spell right, I should be able to track Vincent down."

"I should have sensed something was wrong when Freya didn't call." Finn said through gritted teeth, lacing the room. "Now Lucien has a head start. "Go, witch. Tend to your spells. I won't rest until she's found."

"Behold, the selfless martyr." Kol growled out, scoffing in disbelief. "First, he wants to rip Davina's head off for trapping him in his body. Now he can't wait to be spelled."

Adrianas jaw tightened at the mention of the previous episode.

"Finn, you, Adriana, and I shall go together." Elijah sighed, Adriana nodding in agreement from where she sat. "Kol, you stay here with Davina."

"You're going with him?" Kol asked, clearly shocked. "So, the two people responsible for not destroying the white oak when they had the chance, thus putting us in this bloody mess, are now off to try and fix it. That's just marvelous. I mean, what could possibly go wrong?"

"Which is precisely while I'm going with them." Adriana stated, stepping in front of Kol and glaring back at him. "I'm trusting you to keep my daughter safe Kol, don't make me regret that."

"Kol, look at me." Davina stared, resting a hand on Kol's arm. I don't know this magic. I need your help. Come on."

Davin led Kol out of the room, glancing back at Adriana in worry.

"Let us begin."

"Do not give me orders, brother." Finn ground out through gritted teeth. "And make no mistake- I do not look to you as an ally, or even family. The only reason I tolerate your presence is the hope of finding Freya."

"Let's just get this over with." Adriana sighed, handing Finn a knife.

 **...**

Adriana leaned against the cool window of the car, watching Elijah and Finn from where she sat in the backseat.

"Of course." Finn sighed, the car stopping at a railroad crossing as a trained passed them. "Mystic Falls. Birthplace of our sorrows. So, are we to drive around this entire pathetic town, hoping to run into my sister before Lucien murders her?"

Adrianas lips lifted up slightly in humour as Elijah sighed deeply.

"Kol has a plan." Elijah stated.

"Kol and his ridiculous gambits." Finn scoffed, Adriana snickering slightly from where she sat.

"Nine hundred years in a box, and zero patience." Elijah sighed.

"It's all a joke to you, isn't it?" Finn asked, looking slightly offended. " _Nine hundred years in a box_ just rolls off your tongue as if the time passed without consequence. I assure you, it did not."

"What are you suggesting?" Elijah asked, turning to Finn. "We never experienced anything, least of all the passage of time."

"Being daggered for decades with company and being daggered for centuries alone are very different things." Finn stated angrily. "It starts off as a dim pinprick of light, growing brighter year after year, a slow consciousness that I was paralyzed, entombed in my own mind. That despair, utter loneliness. All amplified and made endless."

"He has a point." Adriana spoke up continuing to stare out of the window, Elijah glancing at her in the rear view mirror. "We had each other for company whenever you used to be daggered Elijah. You have no idea what it is like to experience that wasteland alone."

 **...**

Stepping out of the car, Adriana glanced around her with a sneer.

"I thought I had finally rid this town from my veins." She stated coldly, beginning to pick at her nails out of habit. "Guess I'm not so lucky."

"How will we know when or if this magic trick of Kol's works?" Finn asked, stopping behind Adriana and turning to Elijah.

"He says you'll know." Elijah said, leaning against the driver side door. "It's strange... The birthplace of our very misfortune, beyond that hill. Do you recall the first time we fled together, Finn? We were but children. Nothing but the clothes on our back, desire we had no idea how to control, and a father hellbent on erasing us from the earth."

"The first of many times we ran together over the next one hundred years, 'til you all left me entombed for nine centuries..." Finn stated, trailing off as the three of them walked towards the town square.

"You were a danger." Elijah sighed, Adriana glancing at Finn in worry as his eyes turned dark.

"Danger?"

"Yes."

"Klaus and Kol killed everything that moved, yet I was the one considered too dangerous to undagger?" Finn asked incredulously.

"Despite their bloodlust, you were the poison that crippled-" Elijah started, Adriana glancing at the two with worry creeping into her features with the look on Finn's face.

"Poison?" Finn interrupted, scoffing slightly. "I anchored us!"

"You despised us." Elijah contradicted. "You despised yourself, terrified of everything that we became. You threatened our very survival, Finn, just as you have every time we made the mistake of freeing you from that box."

"I was made that way because of that box." Finn stated furiously, Elijah glancing at Finn with concern at his outburst. "Every time I close my eyes, I go back to that black horizon, that place where I was abandoned and forgotten by my own family. So yeah, I came out mad. And I remain so."

"Boys." Adriana interjected, stepping in between the two before the situation turned ugly. "Boys, please. We came here to help Freya, not squabble like children. The quicker we're out of this town the better."

Spinning on her heel, Adriana led the way towards Mystic Grill a sneer on her face as she looked around.

She had not missed Mystic Falls in the slightest, and if it was her judgement, the town would have been burnt to ashes long before this.

"I hate it here as well." Finn nodded, as if catching onto Adrianas train of thought. "This place birthed all our pain and sorrow. I refuse to let it be the place where our sister dies. Let us not wait for Kol and his witch's tricks- let us simply tear this town apart and find her."

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen." A voice rang down from above them, Adriana glancing up with a raised eyebrow. "See, I just ran every single vampire out of this town. So, visiting hours are, well... never." The male made his way down the stairs, meeting the group at the back door of the Grill, his gun aimed at them. "Elijah Mikaelson. Adriana Mafiay."

"Who are you again?" Adriana asked, leaning forward and narrowing her eyes at him, racking her brain for a name. "Elijah, who is this?"

"Matthew Donovan." Elijah answered Adriana, he too staring up at the sandy blond haired male. "How adorably inconvenient. Unfortunately, we don't have time to play right now. I'll pass your regards along to Rebekah."

"Oh, that guy." Adriana nodded clicking her fingers in Matts directions. "You're the one Rebekah fancied for a bit. Can't really see the appeal to be honest."

"Finn, isn't it?" Matt said, rolling his eyes at Adriana and turning towards the eldest Mikaelson brother. "Sorry, I suck at names, but I never forget a face- especially when it's someone I've already killed." Adriana's face immediately twisted into a sneer as Matt gestured somewhere behind them. "That was right over there, right? Did you come back for some more?"

"Do you expect to scare me with that crude little toy?" Finn asked patronisingly, rolling his eyes at Matt.

"Why are you here?"

"My sister Freya has been taken." Elijah answered, rolling his eyes when Matt made a face. "Yes, we have another. Option one- you go about your business like a good little boy." Elijah stepped forward, unafraid at the gun Matt aimed at him as he approached the human. Option two? Violent disembowelment. What's it gonna be?"

"Please pick the second one." Adriana practically purred, twisting her fingers through her hair. "I've been looking for some fun."

"I'm gonna go with option three." Matt stated, twisting his gun to aim at Adriana when she stepped forward. "This is my town, my business. Especially when it comes to anything with fangs. Now, you, me, and these ten wooden hollow points can stand here and argue that fact, but... how much time does your sister really have?"

Hearing a groan of pain, Adriana turned reaching out and steadying Finn when he almost fell to his knees in pain, letting him lean into her as she steadied him.

"Finn?" Adriana asked, her voice laced with concern. "Finn, what's wrong?"

Finn took several deep breaths before he finally opened his eyes.

"I know where they are." He stated.

 **...**

Adriana sucked in a shaking breath as the group entered the clearing.

"Lucien?" Elijah asked, Adriana's eyes widening as she saw Freya being held in a chokehold.

"Oh..." Lucien drawled off at the sound of Elijahs voice, switching Freya into a headlock. "Just in time for the party, lads." Lucien held up a bottle and popped the top off of it with a grin. "Cheers!" Throwing back the liquid, Lucien's grin became wider. "Let the fun begin! Can either of you get to me faster than I can rip your darling sister's head off?" Adriana watched the ordeal with a gaping mouth, horror flooding into her features. "Didn't think so."

Before Lucien could do anything, Finn used his vampiric speed and ran towards Matt, startling the human and causing him to pull the trigger of his gun and shoot Lucien three times. Adriana flinched slightly as the bullet flew through Freya's shoulder so they could end up in Luciens heart.

"Oh, you clever bastard!" Lucien stated, looking at them in surprise as his skin started to desiccate.

Adriana sped forward as they both fell to the ground, managing to catch Freya's head and pull her into a seating position before she could hit her head on the floor of the clearing.

"It's alright, dear." Adriana stated softly, pulling Freya away from Luciens still body. "It's over now."

Adriana watched carefully as Elijah bit into his wrist, feeding Freya his blood.

Freya finally drinks enough blood to recover and gasps for breath as she coughs and frantically looks around]

"It's okay." Finn said soothingly, Adriana allowing Finn to hold Freya as she walked over to Luciens body. "You're okay."

"Where is he?" Freya gasped, glancing around her.

"That guy?" Matt spoke up, sitting on a large rock next to Vincent. Gesturing calmly to Luciens body. "Dead."

"No..." Freya trailed off weakly.

Eyeing Luciens still form carefully, Adriana took a step closer to the body, crouching next to his head, and raising her hand to poke at his body. The skin of his cheek felt soft to her touch, her eyes narrowing as she glanced over the body once more. He still felt unusually warm for someone who was supposed to be dead.

"Listen to me." Elijah told Freya as Adriana shuffled slightly close to the body. "It's done. Just like Adriana said. It's over."

"You don't understand." Freya said, desperation creeping into her voice. "He drank the serum." Adriana shuffled closer to Lucien once more, her head hovering millimetres away from his own as she stared down at him. "He wanted you to kill him. You helped him take the final step-"

Adriana's bloodcurdling scream filled the clearing, interrupting what Freya was about to say. Whirling around, Elijah's eyes widened as he saw Adriana struggle against Lucien's arm wrapped around her neck. Lucien's mouth opened to reveal terrifying double fangs in his top and bottom jaw. His irises grew blood red as the black veins around his eyes pulsed violently and stretch all the way down his face. Adriana clawed against his arm, trying desperately to throw the older vampire off as he tightened his grip around her neck.

"Last chance, Adriana." Lucien hissed into her ear. "Join me, or rot with the rest of them. I could give you the world."

Adriana's eyes flashed with something incredibly dark, her claws digging into Luciens arm.

"You're the fourth man to promise me just that Lucien." Adriana hissed back, remembering how Tayte had vowed it in her first life, how Demetri had whispered it into her ear in between the sheets, and how Elijah would feed her blood in the skulls of their enemies and say the same. "It didn't turn out great for them." Her first husband had been killed in battle because of his ego, Demetri had been ripped apart by her own claws, and Elijah had fallen prey to his own red door.

It almost seemed like every man she loved was destined to fall into disgrace.

Matt raised his gun, taking aim, Adrianas eyes widening when she realised he was inteding to shoot through her to get to Lucien.

"Stop!" Elijah yelled, stepping towards him. "Bullets won't work anymore, besides, you'll kill Adriana."

Matt, unfortunately, didn't listen.

Adriana let out a scream in panic as an wooden bullet ripped through her stomach, falling to her knees when Marcel dropped her to the ground, her hand resting on her stomach in shock. Scrambling away from Lucien and breathing heavily, Adriana watched as Lucien just laughed as the bullet wound healed as quickly as it had came.

Flashing forward, Lucien backhanded Matt so hard that he flew backwards and was knocked unconscious. Glancing down at stomach Adriana hissed as she tore open her shirt and plunged her fingers into the wound, looking for the bullet that had become lodged in there. In front of her, Elijah was knocked down quickly, Lucien hitting Finn in the cheek, sending him flying to the ground. Breathing heavily, Adriana found the wooden bullet, pushing the tip of her sharp nails into the bullet, Adriana jerked her hand forward, hissing as the bloody bullet fell to the ground.

Pressing her hand against the wound, Adriana moaned in pain when she tried to get up.

Gods, she hated being in this town.

"Poor show! Poor show!" Lucien called out mockingly, the sound of his voice sending a piercing pain through Adriana's skull. "Come on, gents. You can do better, surely!" Elijah flashed forwards, only for Lucien to kick him backwards as he continued speaking. "What do you think, Elijah? This new power- it suits me, no?" Adriana standing up on shaking legs, glaring at the back of Luciens head as he walked towards Elijah. "I've pondered this... Whom to end first, you or Klaus? I had thought him. But now that I'm here, I think it should be you."

"Do you ever shut up?" Adriana snarled, appearing behind Lucien and kicking him in the back.

"Or maybe it should be you, Ms. Mafiay." Lucien stated, twisting away from Adriana as she lunged at him, easily grabbing her by the neck and pushing her away from him. "Yes. Yes. I'm coming to rather like the sound of your death." As Lucien spoke, his mouth widened, shifting his grip on Adriana so the sling of her neck was exposed. "Goodbye, Adriana Mafiay."

She wheezed her eyes shut, waiting for the fangs to sink into her skin.

They never did.

Adriana found herself sprawled in the floor, her eyes opening to find the green grass of the clearing floor and Finn's screams filling her ears. She felt Elijah crouch next to her, a protective arm wrapping around her, while Lucien stepped forward, only for Freya to thrust out her arms and do something to make him step back and move away from them.

"A barrier spell?" Lucien asked, smirking as he stepped away from Elijah and Adriana. "How delicious. I do appreciate a bit of spice being thrown into the hunt. It isn't very fun if the quarry just rolls over and offers its neck, is it?"

"I can keep this up as long as I need to." Freya sneered.

"I don't doubt it, you little minx." Lucien smirked. "Never mind. I have waited a thousand years... I can wait a tad longer. I'm gonna enjoy making this last a long time." With a grimace, he turned to Adriana. "Know this Adriana Mafiay, I will make your death more painful than any bite you could even imagine."

"Stay away from her." Elijah growled lowly, flashing his fangs will Lucien remained smirking.

"We'll see."

Adriana breathed a sigh of relief as Lucien disappeared, her hands falling from the lapels of Elijahs jacket when he ran over to Finn with Freya. Staying knelt on the floor, Adriana curled her fingers into the ground, her eyes wide and glassy with something akin to horror.

 _Gods._

 **...**

Adriana watched silently as Finn was dragged into the Mikaelson Compound, a small frown on her face as she thought over what Lucien had said to her. Wrapping her arms around her waist, Adriana frowned in deep thought.

It had been a while since anyone had threatened her in such a way.

"Adriana." Elijah called out, walking out of the Compound with his hands in his pockets. "Finn is going to be fine."

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?" Adriana asked bluntly, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jeans. "We both know Finn isn't going to make it out alive. Whatever Lucien is, he is not something we can't easily battle."

Elijah only hummed, staring at her with dark eyes as she turned to leave.

"I think it would be best if you left New Orleans." Elijah spoke up, Adriana turning to face him with a single raised eyebrow.

"I do not run from any man." Adriana stated, a sneer flickering across her face before it disappeared. "Not from you, not from Demetri, not even from Lucien."

"Still-"

"Elijah, _warrior_." Adriana laughed lightly, running her hands through her hair. "If I had not of known any better, I would say that you're worried for me."

"Don't push it, _gypsy_."


	48. Warriors and Gypsies

**AN: This chapter is really short but oh well… It's just a downward turn from here ladies and gentleman. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Warriors and Gypsies**

* * *

 **In which Adriana was right**

* * *

Tayte sighed when Adriana recounted the story, his head tilting to the side in thought.

"Well, it's fair to say that he definitely wants your head on a pike." The Norwegian nodded, to himself, Adriana rolling her eyes at him. "But that doesn't mean he's going to get anywhere near his, he is focused in the Mikaelsons and his brand new murder girlfriend, stop panicking Adri."

"Something just doesn't seem right." Adriana muttered into Ulrik's hair from where she was curled up into her soft leather chair. "It feels like a foreboding, like someone's going to die."

"Finn did die." Tayte stated from where he sat in the chair opposite her. "As much as I don't like any of the Mikaelsons, I can't deny their strength, chill out Adriana."

"Bad things happened to men that haven't listened to me." Adriana reprimanded Tayte with a click of her tongue. "Be sure to remember that."

"Yeah." Tayte said, standing up and ruffling Adrianas hair as she walked past him. "Death to the one that proves Adriana Mafiay wrong."

Laughing against her worry, Adriana curled up further into her chair, the small thuds and mumbles of Tayte walking around the house easing the tenseness in her shoulders. Burying her nose into Ulrik's soft hair, Adriana felt the boys tiny hands pat her head, ocean blue eyes staring at her in worry.

"Mama." Ulrik called out softly, his hand resting in her cheek, as if trying to offer her some support.

" _Grazie, il mio bambino._ " Adriana said softly, running the pads of her fingers down Ulrik's face. "I'll be fine, it's probably nothing."

 **...**

From where he stood alone in the kitchen, Tayte rested his head agianst the cabinets, a dark look crossing over his face. His fingers thrummed agianst the worktop while his ice blue eyes seemingly stared into nothing.

It was pathetic, childish, and yet he couldn't get the thought out of his head.

"Hey, Adri." He called out, exiting the kitchen and appearing in the living room where Adriana sat with a book in her lap. "Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did," Adriana teased, closing the book and glancing up at him. "Go on."

"It's a weird question." Tayte warned, shoving his hands in his pockets and rocking slightly on his feet. "It's just- Well…"

"Spit it out, Tayte." Adriana sighed, leaning back in her seat.

"What's going on Adriana?" Tayte eventually asked. "Between you and Elijah? Truly."

"Nothing." Adriana stated, her eyes narrowing as she spoke. "What makes you ask that?"

"A few nights ago, you disappeared and came back with blood coating your teeth and a dark look in your eyes." Tayte stated, his words coming out as a hiss as he started to pace the living room.

"What of it?"

"You had reeked of Elijah Mikaelson."

Adrianas face froze into a perfect mask of indifference. Her eyes glimmering with something darker as the book in her hands was gently placed onto the table next to her.

"I'm not sleeping with him if that's what you're asking." She stated coldly, glaring back at Tayte. "Are you doubting my loyalty?"

"I doubt your ability to keep lying to yourself." Tayte scoffed, whirling around to face her as she rose to her feet. "You miss it, I can see it in your eyes. I'm not stupid Adriana. Deep down inside you miss it Adriana, you miss the rush. You miss the blood and the nightmares and everything you felt for him. You can't do domesticity Adriana, you never have and you never will!"

"I can do domesticity." Adriana denied, crossing her arms and glaring back at Tayte. "I look after Ulrik and Tayte and come back here every night, is that not domesticity?"

"You just like children." Tayte argued back. "It's the only thing that keeps you grounded, to convince yourself you're not a monster. In every life you've been a mother, you just can't let it go. You don't want domesticity, you want that mental image in your head you know you can never have. Why? Because you spent nine hundred years drunk on blood, gold, sex and power and you can't let it go."

Adriana's eyes flashed with darkness, her red taloned hands digging into the thin flesh off her palm.

"Why can't it be enough Adriana?" Tayte near shouted, his hands folding and unfolding in anger.

"Who says that it isn't?"

"You do."

"Well, you're one to talk." Adriana spat out, Tayte's cold gaze turning to her. "You don't know how to take care of children Tayte. You've only ever wanted the rush of battle and blood, you always have and you always will. So don't come to me preaching moral domesticity, you're just as bad as me!"

"Really?" Tayte growled out. "I'm as bad as you? At least I'm not in love with a man that emotionally manipulated me for centuries!"

 _Slap!_

Tayte's head tilted to the side, the red handprint on his face slowly fading back into normal skin.

"Gods." Adriana whispered, looking slightly horrified by her own actions. "Gods, Tayte, I'm so sorry."

"Forget it." Tayte muttered, staring at the floor. "You're phones beeping. Make it shut up."

Picking it up, Adriana glanced worriedly at Tayte before looking over the message.

"It's Lucien." She stated, reading the message with slightly narrowed eyes. "He wants me and Elijah to meet him at a bar."

"Well," Tayte muttered, stepping round her and ignoring Adriana's desperate apologies. "You better show them you're true colours, _Mother of Nightmares._ "

A name that was revered throughout all of the vampiric community fell like a curse from a Tayte's mouth.

Adriana wasn't completely sure how she felt about that.

With sad eyes, Adriana watched Tayte turn around and leave the room.

 **...**

 _The woods around the settlement were lush and provided plenty of animals for meat and clothes. Ivy ran like droplets of water down great oak trees, reaching the ground and weaving around the broken twigs and branches from fragile trees. Flowers of all colours rose through the ivy, dotting the land with colour and life._

 _"Tayte." The shrill voice cut through the tall trees, alarming several animals nearby. "Tayte, where are you?"_

 _"What are you doing here Adriana?" A deep voice replied, the sharp eyed brunnette appearing from behind one of the trees, a satchel of arrows slung over his shoulder and a bow resting in his hands._

 _Before Elijah, before Demetri, before the Originals were even turned into vampires, there had been Tayte and Adriana._

 _Not that they necessarily liked each other._

 _"Not to see your ugly face that's for certain." The thirteen year old girl scoffed, eyeing the fifteen year old boy in obvious disgust._

 _"Oh. What a shame…" The boy trailed off mockingly. "Get out of here then."_

 _Turning away from her, Tayte continued trudging through the overgrowth. Stepping over a fallen log covered in lush green ivy, rolling her eyes as he heard the flurry of snapping twigs and the occasional stumble as she walked after him._

 _"Where are you going?" Adriana squawked, her small legs floundering as she waded through the overgrowth of the twigs. "You can't abandon me here!"_

 _"Yes I can." Tayte smirked, turning and raising an eyebrow at her as she clambered over the log he had easily stepped over. "Why are you even here, Adriana?"_

 _"Your mother sent me here." Adriana stated, sitting on the log and smoothing out her dress. "I think it has to do with your impromptu trip into the woods."_

 _"If I am to be a warrior, then I need to get stronger." Tayte huffed, adjusting his satchel of arrows across his back._

 _"Do I look like I care?" Adriana scoffed, her waist length brown waves brushing against the log as she tilted her head. "I've found you, and you're alive. Now, be a good boy and escort me back. The wolves lay waiting in the woods."_

 _Glancing around them, Tayte narrowed his eyes at the golden dawn breaking out on the horizon. Golden rivulets spreading across the sky and forming light streaks and dots on Adrianas face._

 _It was getting late._

 _"Come on." He stated through gritted teeth, tugging her off the log as he came back. "This doesn't mean I like you."_

 _"Never said it did." Adriana grumbled, ripping her arm away from his calloused grip, a small pout marring her features._

 **...**

"Adriana." Elijah greeted, looking up to meet the dark eyes of his wife.

"Elijah." Adriana replied, tilting her head and humming slightly. "It is rather rude of a host to keep his guests waiting, no?"

"Quite." Elijah nodded, staring at several empty glasses on one of the oak tables, throwing down his coat on the stage.

"My apologies Ms. Mafiay." Luciens voice sounded, Adriana and Elijah turning around to see Lucien leaning against s table a few feet from them. "You are quite right."

Adriana only hummed once more, drawing out a chair and sitting down on it, her eyes quickly flickering towards the entrance before watching Lucien warily.

"Such a treat, being in New Orleans this time of year." Lucien continued, ignoring Adrianas blatant discomfort. "But, alas, for all today's talent, nothing quite compares with watching Ella and Louis perform live."

"Yes, what a wonderful world that was." Elijah scoffed sarcastically. "Give me my brother before your world becomes significantly less wonderful."

"I'm afraid I need something from you, first." Lucien stated calmly. "A brother for a brother, as it were."

"Then why is Adriana here?" Elijah asked, glancing to where Adriana sat.

"I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone." Lucien shrugged. "Aurora sends her regards.

"Let me guess- your fantasy sweetheart wants her beloved Tristan back?" Elijah asked, scoffing under his breath.

"Oh, what men do for the ones they love…" Adriana trailed off, her face pulling into a grimace at the thought. "Spare me, please."

"Or your death, to relieve his suffering." Lucien hummed, ignoring Adrianas comment. "So, either tell me how to find him, or I'll kill you."

"Rather rude." Adriana pointed out. "You haven't even brought me a drink."

"You won't need drinks where you're going Ms. Mafiay." Lucien smirked at her, turning to Elijah and becoming impatient. "Elijah, I've asked you a rather important question. Given our current circumstance, you'd be wise not to test my patience. So, Tristan's resting place?"

"You carefully craft yourself into this abomination purely to become... an errand boy to that banshee?" Elijah asked, pulling a face.

"Oh, you Mikaelsons." Lucien laughed lightly. "Your arrogance truly knows no bounds. Do I need to remind you the prophecy is on my side? Your family is doomed. So, if you'll give me Tristan's location, at least I could make your death quick."

"I have no idea where he is." Elijah shrugged, Adrianas deep brown eyes flickering between the two. "But you know, Lucien, the thing is that I suspect you don't even really care."

"I never really liked him." Lucien sighed dramatically. "But, at least I can tell Aurora I tried."

"You give me my brother." Elijah growled out, his shoulders squaring as her prepared to lunge. Adriana standing up from her chair and stepping away from the two. "I won't ask again."

"Please, Elijah." Lucien said rolling his eyes. "Know when you're beaten."

"You're rather presumptuous." Adriana commented offhandedly, narrowing her eyes at a small space on the floor in front of her in suspicion.

"Ah, I almost forgot you were here." Lucien sighed, spinning to face Adriana. "Stand still Ms. Mafiay."

Adriana stumbled back, startled as Lucien suddenly froze right in front of her. A sigil burning brightly under his feet, Adriana staring at the symbol in surprise, taking several steps backwards as Lucien roared in agony and fell to his knees within the circle.

"Oh." Freya said, walking into the room with her hand outstretched, Elijah walking to stand next to Adriana, wrapping a hand around her waist for comfort. "That looks like it hurts. That's what I was going for."

"What..." Lucien trailed off, groaning, "did you do to me?"

"The sigil will bind you." Freya explained calmly, all of them watching Lucien fall onto the floor. "Weaken you. The boiling blood, I added myself. Maybe I can't kill you, but I can make you wish you were dead."

"Checkmate." Adriana smirked from where she stood next to Elijah, his arm hesitantly dropping from around her waist. "I admit, I'm impressed with the planning, though a little heads up would've been nice."

Lucien groaned and grunted in pain in the middle of the magical sigil on the floor, Adrianas let her eyes rest on the nearest exit glancing at Lucien in worry. After a moment, Lucien stopped fighting the magic and rose to his feet, Adriana taking a small step back in preparation of any tricks.

"Well, I admit, Freya, this is a truly valiant effort. Inspired, I assume, by your grief over Finn's demise?" Sneering, Freya thrust her hand forward. "Pop goes the weasel." Lucien growled falling to his knees and moaning in pain. "Oh! A rather potent aneurysm spell. You never fail to impress."

"Oh, I have all kinds of tricks." Freya stated, a several dozen Strix member filing into the room and surrounding Lucien, all of them growling menacingly. "We even brought an audience to enjoy the show."

"Oh, come now, my darling sister." Elijah tutted, a dark look entering his eyes. "The Strix are the show. Well; the first act. Act two, Lucien's buried beneath 1,000 tons of cement. Act three? Spoiler alert- you're a parking lot."

"Oh, even after a thousand years, you've never managed to curb your hubris." Lucien chuckled darkly, Adriana planted her feet into the floor, watching Lucien warily. "You still wander through a smog of your own self-importance. I can kill anything. Even them. Even you. And, since the Ancestors have made me their champion. They will not allow me to be detained."

"Those are fighting words Lucien." Adriana pointed out, glancing down as Lucien stepped out of the sigil without harm as it failed away.

"So, why don't we make this a fight?" Lucien smirked back at her, spinning in a circle and growling in preparation for the battle.

 **...**

Adriana spat out blood from where she collapsed onto the wooden floor, bring up her hand and roughly pushing her jaw back into place from where she had dislocated it. With a sneer of disgust, she watched Elijah land on the floor a couple of metres away from her, analysing Lucien fighting the Strix members, hoping to find a weak spot.

Lucien easily dominated his fight with the Strix members, breaking their bones and snapping their necks but not killing them just yet.

"Is that the best you've got?" Lucien chuckled to himself in disbelief, spreading his arms out wide by his sides, a large smirk painted on his face.

In reply, Freya pushed her hands forward and cast a spell that caused blood to begin to pour down his shirt. Adriana climbing onto her feet and watching the ordeal with interest, grimacing as she saw Luciens heart fight against the cage of his ribs.

"Delphin eoten cor. Delphin eoten cor. Delphin eoten cor! Delphin eoten cor. Delphin eoten cor." Freya chanted loudly, walking towards Lucien as his heart slowly pulled towards her and fought against the restraints of Luciens chest. "Delphin eoten cor."

Adriana's eyes widened as Lucien suddenly stopped groaning in agony, the interference of the ancestors stopping Freya's magic from working. She took several steps back as Lucien smirked, rising to his feet just as Elijah ran forwards and threw him across the room.

As soon as Lucien was across the room, Adriana spun on the tip of her stiletto, quickly vacating the room with all the other vampires in the room. Luciens roar of fury ringing in her ears as she stumbled round a street corner, breathing heavily and pressing her back against the brick wall.

 _Oh, Gods…_

 **...**

"I see that Kol has disappeared." Adriana stated, stepping out of the shadows and into Marcels line of sight. "Maybe it is for the best…"

"Try telling that to your daughter." Marcel grumbled over the rim of his bottle. "She is distraught."

"I'm not surprised." She sighed, sliding into the seat across from Marcel. "Her heart is broken."

"Remind you of anyone?" Marcel smirked slightly, leaning back in his seat.

"Don't push me, littlest warrior." Adriana snapped, taking the scotch glass and bottle away from Marcel. "I think you've had enough."

"It's never gonna be enough." He sighed, staring at Adriana as she put away the bottle. "Davina told me what happened between you and Tayte."

"Of course she did."

"I think you should apologise."

"Of course you do."

Humming, Marcels head tilted upwards, staring at the ceiling with a contemplative look on his face.

"You know…" He started, Adriana glancing at him as she closed the cupboard and walked back to Marcel. "Looking at Kol and Davina, seeing how they interacted with each other… it reminded me of another couple I had admired in my younger years." Adriana sat back in the chair across from Marcel. "I had admired your relationship with Elijah."

"A horrible decision." She stated, crossing her legs and leaning back in the seat, Marcels head still tilted skyward as he spoke.

"Not really." Marcel chuckled, finally moving to look her in the eyes. "You lacked loyalty and sanity, sure. You did the right thing breaking up with him, I won't deny that. But I always admired your savagery, you two moved around each other in a complicated dance, both of you expecting nothing and yet everything."

"You would do well as a poet, littlest warrior." Adriana said calmly.

"That's another thing." Marcel nodded. "You have been calling Elijah, _warrior_. Not _little warrior_ like you used to, I've never seem someone so distraught at a change in nickname. Why?"

"Little warriors protect gypsies." Adriana stated, like it explained everything. "Warriors are brave men on white horses that protect princesses, not gypsies."

Marcel watched her for several long seconds before nodding slowly.

 **...**

After agreeing to Davina staying at Marcels for the night, Adriana walked back to a Tayte's apartment.

Staring up at the fairy lights that scattered the street, Adriana smiled lowly, crowds of children with masks on, and teenagers getting drunk on stolen alcohol passing by her to a small party in the centre of New Orleans. The lights above them cast a soft glow on the cobblestone street, Adriana stepping out of the way of a running child, smiling back at an exasperated mother as she went.

Weaving through the crowds, Adriana stepped into Tayte's building, stepping into the elevator and pushing her house card into the required spot, punching in a code that took her to the top floor.

It was all a little domestic.

The elevator chimed lightly as the doors slid open, Adriana frowned when she saw the shattered vase at her feat, leaves and rose petals thrown across the small corridor.

Turning to her left, Adriana sucked in a slow breath, seeing the door that led to the stairs hanging of its hinges. A deep concave in the door, as if someone had bodily shoved themselves into the corridor.

Fear wrapped itself around Adrianas neck, snapping at her heels as she ran to the apartment door, shoving it open with a bang.

Adrianas voice lodged itself in her throat as she looked into the apartment. Furniture and chairs were thrown around in dissary, the breakfast bar counter chipped and slowly falling to pieces.

"Welcome home." A deep voice snarled out of the shadows, Lucien stepping into the light, dropping a weakly struggling figure at Adriana's feet.

"Hey Adri," Tayte smiled weakly, black veins pulsing in his wrists as he looked up at her from where he lay on the floor. "I guess you were right."

Screams rang in Adrianas ears, her knees hitting the floor as she grasped at Tayte's weakly breathing body. Lucien watching them from several steps away.

It took her several seconds to realise that she was the one screaming.


	49. A Thousand Lifetimes

**AN: *dabs away tears and back into a corner* So, yeah… Enjoy!**

* * *

 **A Thousand Lifetimes**

* * *

 **In which Adriana doesn't want the world**

* * *

Adriana felt like she was drowning. The air in her lungs felt thick and heavy, the blood than ran through her veins weighed her down like leaned as she stumbled next to Tayte, her hands falling to rest on his grey skin, her brown eyes wide with panic as her screams broke down into pants.

With baited breath, Adriana breathed a sigh of relief when she noted Tayte was still breathing.

Blood was spilling down his chin and his shirt was torn into shreds, but he was still alive.

Her eyes stopped their wandering of Tayte's body when they rested on the grotesque wound on the side of his neck. The wound was large and bleeding around the edges, a black liquid oozing out of the wound as twisted pitch back veins pulsed and curled around it.

"No, no Adriana…" Tayte whispered hoarsely, bringing up a shaking hand to rest on her face, making her look away from the wound. "Run, just run. Ulrik's in the back room, just take him and run."

"I don't run from anything." Adriana whispered back, resting her hand on top of Tayte's. "Not even death."

"That's exactly what I counted on." Lucien spoke up, Adriana glancing up at him with cold eyes. "Oh, Adriana… I did try and warn you. This would have never happened if you just joined me."

"Shut up Lucien." She said, slowly getting to her feet to glare at him. "What did you do to him?"

"Exactly what I'm going to do to you." Lucien purred in excitement.

Lucien quickly lunged at her, Adriana dodging out of the range of his claws. Spinning around, Adriana's eyes narrowed when she noted that Lucien had disappeared. Twisting on her heels Adriana spun around and slashed at Lucien when he charged at her from behind, successfully kicking her in the stomach, Lucien sent Adriana crashing into the wall. Picking herself up from the floor, Adriana sneered as her shoulder popped back into place, the wall cracking under her as she rolled away. Using her speed to her advantage, Adriana disappeared from the floor before Lucien could lunge at her once more. A large crack in the floor signifying where she had kicked off.

Frowning in frustration, Lucien skidded to a halt. Glancing above him and searching the rafters for where Adriana was hiding.

"Oh, come on out Adriana." Lucien called out, searching the room to where Adriana had disappeared too. "Why don't you just come out and face me? I can always just go after your baby instead?"

Adriana appeared behind him with a loud snarl, her eyes dark and her hands curled into fists. Sharp fangs appearing in her mouth as she snarled, her brown eyes bleeding into a deep blood red and pitch black as she lunged for Lucien, knocking him to the ground under her weight, and holding him down by his neck as she growled.

"Stay away from my baby."

Lucien retaliated by showing his own fangs, throwing Adriana off of him so she collapsed onto the floor a few steps away. Swiftly standing up Lucien stepped back, successfully dodging Adriana's talons. He grimaced when she managed to land a well aimed kick to his stomach, grabbing her leg and dragging her forward, he wrapped an arm around her neck. Adriana kicked wildly as she was dragged to her knees, digging her nails into Luciens arm and tugging wildly. It was no help, Luciens arm remained strong around her neck.

With a grimace, Lucien took a syringe out of his torn jacket pocket. The syring was cold metal grey, the black liquid inside making Adriana struggle even more. It's needle was long and pointed, Lucien twisting his grip on it as he shifted Adriana in his hold with a well aimed kick to her side.

"I really didn't want to resort to this." Lucien growled into her ear, his arm tightening in Adriana's neck as she struggled. Her legs trying to catch onto Luciens and her claws ripping his arm into ribbons before it had the chance to heal. "Alas, darling Adriana, if you're not with me, you're against me, and this is what happens when you're against me."

Lucien shifted his grip on Adriana's neck, keeping her neck still while he plunged the syringe into her. Pushing the pitch black liquid into her body, he stepped back as Adriana collapsed into the floor, coughing up blood on the wooden floorboards.

"What the hell is in that thing?" She managed to growl out, throwing up more blood onto the floor.

"Vervain and wooden shards." Lucien explained, stepping away from here. "Mixed with some other lovely witchy things. It's going to kill you, it'll be slow and painful as they travel through your system, only able to kill you once it reaches your heart. At that dosage, you'll most likely have until midnight."

"That's one twisted Cinderella story." Adriana remarked dryly, turning to Lucien with snarl. "So, what now? What's next in this diabolical plan of yours? Are you just going to leave me here to die?"

"Why not?" Lucien shrugged, a small smirk on his face, while he wiped Adriana's blond onto his expensive jeans. "I have to admit Ms. Mafiay, I was hoping for more begging."

"I don't fear death." Adriana hissed, whipping her mouth with cold eyes as she glared at Lucien. "And I most certainly don't fear _you_."

"So, this is how the Mother of Nightmares falls." Lucien sighed, grasping onto Adrianas chin and staring into her eyes. "Goodbye Adriana, I'll be sure to send your decayed head to your beloved children."

Shoving her to the floor, he watched her collapse onto the floorboards, her head hung low.

"Go to hell." Adriana spat at Luciens back as he left the ruined penthouse with a smirk on his face.

"Oh, darling Adriana." Lucien mocked, turning around as he reached for the door handle. "I'll see you there."

 **...**

 _The first time Tayte really saw his wife was across off the fire during a celebration._

 _Tayte Kajinson was a brave warrior, a fighter that strove towards the good of his village. He had toppled down other tribes and his pride grew with every body that fell down because of his sword._

 _His wife called it arrogance, he called well deserved._

 _They lived together in stiff matrimony, having to go from hatred to love just because their parent decided they needed to be wed._

 _Tayte loved his daughter though, his brave Sygrid, whom had shrill cries that rivalled her mother's harpy like screeches._ _Adriana, the harpy of the New World._

 _Glancing up from his drink, his sword resting beside him, Tayte gazed at his wife through the fire._ _She was talking with the other women in the village, a tired Sygrid resting on her hip as she smiled at the women around her._

 _Only, something was off about the way she held herself._

 _Leaning forward with narrowed eyes, Tayte watched his small wife very carefully. Her voice was controlled and polite, her smile bright and yet; it seemed almost strained. Her fingers had a minuscule twitch to them as she moved, twitching the same way Tayte's did when he let his sword rip into the enemy. Adjusting Sygrid in her hold, Adriana bid farewell to the woman, her brown eyes turning cold in the firelight as soon as the other woman tuned her back to her._

 _As if sensing him watching her, Adrianas eyes met his over the fire pit, and the sounds of celebration died around Tayte. Adriana looked at him with the eyes of a frightened doe, a deep brown, large and innocent. Yet, she smiled at him with the fangs of a venomous snake._

 _You know the truth about what I'm like, her large eyes seemed to tell him. Now, what are you going to do about it?_

 _Staring back at her across the fire pit, Tayte raised his glass to Adriana nevertheless letting go of her gaze as he drank. In that moment, he is terrified of her._

 _Not that he'd ever admit it._

 **...**

"Tayte." Adriana stated, dragging herself over to Tayte's side, pressing her hand against the wound in his neck, the same wound she was sure now marred the side of her own neck. Watching as the blood spilled past the pressure of both her hands. "Tayte, please don't let it end like this. Not again."

Coughing roughly, blood dripping down his chin, Tayte only grinned up at Adriana.

"Worry about yourself." Tayte whispered hoarsely, blinking hazily at Adriana. "It's too late for me, but maybe not for you."

"Don't talk like that." Adriana almost begged, resting her hands on Tayte's face while his skin slowly turned an ash grey. "It's all my fault. If I had never ran into you, you would've never regained your memories. You would've lived a peaceful Tayte away from the supernatural. Oh, Gods… Tayte, I'm so sorry, it's all my fault…"

"Are you crying? Don't start the waterworks now Adriana." He asked, Adriana laughing slightly through her tears. "Listen to me Adri. It's going to be okay. I hope that one day, years from now, we'll get reincarnated again-"

"Tayte- Tayte, _please..."_

"No, Adriana, listen to me." Tayte demanded, holding onto Adriana and staring into her eyes as he spoke. "Once upon a time you didn't jump onto my funeral pyre, and your not going to start this pathetic act now." Adriana sniffled slightly, but squared her shoulders and stared back at Tayte. "One day, we're going to be together again. I promise. I'll find you. I'll keep searching, and I won't know what I'm searching for until I see you again. Even if it takes a thousand years, I will find you again, and maybe then we can live a peaceful life, like you've always wanted. Promise me, Adriana. Promise me that you won't give up hope."

Smiling in defeat, Adriana nodded slowly, Tayte relaxing into the floor, dark veins beginning to twist up his face and his skin growing rapidly paler.

"I promise."

Coughing deeply, Adriana flinched slightly as the sound shot straight through her skull, shifting uncomfortably as the veins in her arms started to burn and sting.

"Here's to a thousand lifetimes." Tayte mumbled, his voice clothed in something Adriana would compare to a mixture of tiredness and pain.

"And maybe even a thousand after that." Adriana mumbled back, resting her head on top of Tayte's.

"I will find you again." Tayte promised one last time, his hand slowly slipping from hers. "However long it takes."

"Tayte," Adriana whispered, Tayte going still under her fingertips. "Tayte? Tayte, this isn't funny. You can't die on me yet." Adriana shook the cooling body, the black veins pulsing one last time before they too went still. "No, Tayte." She shook the body harder, blood stained tears beginning to fall on Tayte's shirt. "You can't leave me on my own, not again. Tayte? No, Tayte _please don't leave me by myself_. Tayte? _Tayte!"_

 **...**

 _The first time Tayte ever truly loved his wife, she is packing his bag for war._

 _She is silent, and she tightens the straps of his armour with practiced ease. Her hands are quick and skilled as she passed him his sword, her eyes downcast._

 _"Adriana, do you hate me?"_

 _She froze in her movements, Tayte only stared out through the open doors, watching the other warriors be kissed goodbye by their wives. Glancing to him, Adriana placed a loaf of bread in his pack, handing him it as she spoke._

 _"No, I don't."_

 _Tayte turned to stare back at her, accepting the pack with one swift movement and a nod. They stood still for a few seconds, staring blankly at each other, silently expecting the other to make the first move._

 _"When I come back, I promise I will bring you the world." Tayte stated honestly, Adriana only smiling with a slight scoff._

 _"I don't want the world." She answered, tilting her head slightly. "I only want to be happy."_

 _"Then I will bring you happiness. I will bring you whatever you wish."_

 _She only hummed, the soft smile on her face growing wider, pressing a soft kiss on the side of his face._

 _"Then I will wait with baited breath for your return." She teased slightly, laughing at Tayte's flustered look. "Goodbye my husband."_

 _"Farewell, my wife."_

 **...**

Adriana opened the door to the back room, wincing as Ulrik's once muffled screams hit her full force.

"Ulrik." Adriana whispered, kneeling down in front of the child and trying to shush him as he screamed. "Ulrik, _soldatino..._ "

 _("My darling Sygrid, please stop crying…")_

Ulrik only continued to sob, fighting against Adrianas bloodstained hands.

"Ulrik, please, look at me."

 _("Darling Sygrid, it's going to be alright, it's just you and me now, but he is going to come back. I promise. Look at Mother, see? It's going to be alright.")_

"Ulrik? Ulrik, stop." Adriana managed to make Ulrik's eyes meet her brown ones, her black pupils dialiting as she compelled the small child. "Stop crying, it's going to be alright." Ulrik immediately fell silent staring back at Adriana with dialated pupils, tears still sat on the edge of his eyelids.

 _("There we go, my darling, shush now...")_

"You're not going to remember any of this." Adriana stated slowly, holding Ulrik's head in her hands as she spoke. Fresh tears dripping down her cheeks. "You're not going to remember about the supernatural, about the Mikaelsons, about me. When you wake up next, you're not going to remember the horror you witnessed here today, and you're going to be a good boy for the people taking care of you. Do you understand me?" Nothing. "Do you understand me, Ulrik?" A simple nod, Ulrik's blue eyes sat still and almost misty. "Good boy, now, go to sleep for Mama."

Adriana gently caught Ulrik as he fell against her burying her nose into his hair as she picked him up, giving Tayte's body one last glance as she left the room, wincing as pain thrummed up her legs and around her stomach.

Glancing down, Adriana's stomach writhed as she saw the black veins pulse and twist around her stomach and down her legs.

"Goodbye Tayte." Adriana whispered one last time as she shut the door behind her. "I'll see you on the other side."

 **...**

 _Adriana wakes up to someone pounding on the hut door. Scrambling out of bed, she tugs open the rotting wood, brown eyes meeting the dark ones of her mother._

 _"Adriana," Her mother tells her, her voice stone cold. "You have my deepest condolences."_

 _"Mother, what are you talking about?" Adriana asked, her eyes finally resting on the dark cloth on the floor. Recognising Tayte's mother knelt above the body. "Mother, who is under that sheet?"_

 _Her mother only looked at her sadly, stepping back as Adriana ran towards the black cloth, tugging back the material with shaking hands._

 _"No." She whispered, her eyes resting on Tayte's face, dried blood splattered on his face and his eyes closed. "No, Tayte? Tayte this isn't funny. Get up. Tayte?" Her cries we're getting more frantic as she shook the body. "No! You can't leave me here! Please, Tayte, you promised me you'd be back. This isn't the happiness you promised me Tayte. Tayte? Tayte! No, please don't leave me by myself…"_

 _Strong hands pulled her away from the body, her mother dragging her away as another warrior covered Tayte's face once more._

 _"No!" Adriana screamed kicking wildly. "Tayte!"_

 **...**

Walking up the pathway of the orphanage, Adriana glanced down at a sleeping Ulrik in his car seat, twisting the seat in he hand as she walked, stopping in front of the orphanage door.

She smiled brokenly, brushing Ulrik's hair out of his face. Watching with tears in her eyes as the blood on her hands stained his sleeping face a morbid crimson red.

"I'm sorry, soldatino." She whispered, choking on her own words as she set down his car seat in front of the orphanage door. Wrapping him in blankets tighter to protect him from the late night chill, her vision blurring as crystalline tears welled in her eyes. "They'll look after you here. Better than I ever could… I'm so sorry, _soldatino_. This is goodbye."

A single sob left Adriana's bloodstained lips, feeling the tears slowly drip down her face. As she brought her trembling hands up to quickly wipe them away, she tucked the blankets tighter around Ulrik one last time. Tucking a letter into the side of his car seat, and another next to it.

"I'm being silly, aren't I?" Adriana whispered hoarsely, standing up on shaking legs glancing down at Ulrik on last time. "You won't remember me. You're just a toddler. It'll be fine. They'll talk about this day, and you will know nothing of how they found a bloodstained baby on a porch step."

Adriana rose her hand to the doorbell, letting it hover there for a moment before pressing the button.

"Goodbye, my soldatino." She stated one last time, disappearing just as the door opened, light bathing the doorstep, breaking into the late evening darkness. "I love you, never forget that. If you don't remember anything, please remember that I love you, _il mio soldatino_."

Collapsing around the corner, successfully hidden from sight, Adriana brought her trembling hand to her eye line, watching as black veins pulsed and twisted morbidly under her skin, slowly travelling to the edge of her fingertips.

Bringing her knees to her chest, Adriana Mafiay sobbed, her shoulders racking as tears stained her black jeans along with blood.

"Davina." She whispered to herself, scrambling to her feet and frantically wiping her tears away. Flinching as pain thrummed violently through her veins, making her eyes clench shut as she breathed deeply. "I need to see Davina."

Spinning on her heel, Adriana disappeared into the darkness of the alleyway.

 **...**

 _Adriana stared at the flames in front of her, watching as they threw Tayte's sword and shield onto the funeral pyre with his burning body wrapped in expensive cloth._

 _He had died a warriors death, she should be proud, and yet the only thing she felt was bitterness._

 _How dare he._

 _How dare he be so arrogant. How dare he leave her here. How dare he mock her even in death._

 _He had promised her happiness, yet all she could feel was bitterness._

 _She could her hear mother whispering harshly into her ear, urging her to jump on the pure and join her husband in death._

 _She could feel everyone's eyes on her as her mother pushed her closer to the pyre, the heat of the red flames making her face glow and her eyes almost glow in the darkness. They expected her to jump on the pyre and join her husband in a victors death, following him dutifully even to the end._

 _Glancing back, Adrianas eyes connected with the frightened blue eyes of her daughter, her beautiful Sygrid with her dark hair and Tayte's cold blue eyes._

 _They expected her to jump into the flames and leave her daughter in the care of her mother and village, living on in their memory._

 _Whispers erupted around her as Adriana turned her stone gaze back to the pyre, the villagers wondering what was taking her so long._

 _Stepping closer to the flames, a heavy hush quickly fell over the crowd as Adriana stopped a hairsbreadth away from the flames, glaring at her husbands body as the flames licked dangerously close to her long dress, her wavy brown hair that reached her lower back even in an intricate plait dancing slightly in the soft evening breeze. The flames seemed almost a deep red in the dark expanse of night, licking close to her skin but never quite touching her._

 _Staring at the cloth that housed her husbands body, Adriana sneered darkly._

 _No, she wouldn't do it. She wouldn't die for some ungrateful man whose own arrogance in his abilities killed him. She wouldn't die, not even for the man she had loved._

 _"Goodbye Tayte." She whispered darkly at the body, the roaring of the flames covering her words from the spectators ears. "Maybe one day I will get my happiness, but not with you._

 _Spinning around, Adriana shoved passed her mother, picking up her daughter and walking away from the funeral pyre. A cold glare on her face as she stepped round the Mikaelsons, the leading family in their village. Stroking her daughters hair as she slammed the door of her hut shut._

 _Elijah Mikaelson watched the village woman dissappear, drowning out the sound of his mother trying to placate their fathers fury towards the injustice of a fellow warrior._

 _He had never seen someone look so beautiful bathed in red._


	50. Wild Lilies

**AN: *coughs awkwardly* For those of you that haven't gussed, this is the last chapter of 'Broken Strings'. After two years and 50 chapters, it is the end. I'll do a little AN chapter next (probably in a week or so) so if you have any questions just drop them in the reviews. Remember to read to the end and, for the last time: Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Wild Lilies**

* * *

 **In which it is never quite the end**

* * *

 _This is how it begins._

 _Adriana Angelo Mafiay was born in the early stages of spring, while the frost of winter still hung heavy in the air._

 _"You're name is Adriana Mafiay," Her mother whispered to her, forced to carry the soul of a woman from the past. "And no one can take that away from you."_

 _It is the only thing her mother tells her before she handed to slave traders, before she abandons a newly born babe to the horrors of the world._

 _When she_ _is seventeen, she meets Demetri in a garden full of red roses, and she is quickly abandoned several months later after reluctantly warming his bed._

 _"Dark angel," Demetri hissed into her ear, pressing a knife to her stomach. His golden hair and forest green eyes still deceptively beautiful despite the rain. "Never trust demons bearing roses, for they too have hidden thorns."_

 _She gives birth to her daughter in a dark room, and spits on the memory of Demetri._

 _When she is twenty one, she loses her daughter and meets a man who makes a dark corner of her brain tilt its head in recognition._

 _His name is Elijah Mikaelson, and she waits with baited breath for the moment he will abandon her too, just like the others._

 _He never does._

 **...**

All parents will damage their children, it cannot be helped. Childhood is nothing but a pristine glass that parents handle with shaking fingers. Some will smudge, some will crack, and the truly unlucky ones will shatter completely, their youth falling apart at the seams, beyond repair.

The first thing Adriana smelt as she stumbled into the room was Davina, the signature mix of peonies and rose perfume.

The second thing she smells is tears, salty and heavy as it hung in the air.

The third thing she smells is blood.

Adriana Mafiay stumbles into St. James Infirmary with a heavy heart, black veins, and pain coursing through her body. Through the rips in her shirt, the black veins pulsed as her body is slowly burnt from the inside with vervain and wooden shards, spreading round her body but never quite killing her.

She doesn't remember the last time she has been in so much _pain_.

However, she continues pushing forward, to see her daughter, to see herself alive by the end of the night.

Following the smell, Adriana stumbled into the ward and leaned against the doorframe. Her head tilted to the floor and her breath coming out in heavy pants. Her vision blurred around the edges, a static filling her ears as she gripped the doorframe tighter.

"Adriana?" Was that Marcels voice? Why was he here? "Adriana, I think it's best you leave…"

Blood fills her nose, so much blood…

Adriana realised how hungry she was, gnawing at her stomach through the pain.

 _Was someone dead?_

Forcing her neck to look ahead, Adriana's world shattered around her.

Laying in a sobbing Kols arms was Davina, her once beautiful neck savagely ripped open by fangs.

Adrianas bloody mouth opened, and a scream of horror ripped through St. James Infirmary.

 **...**

 _The night Adriana lost her daughter to witches, she sat in the middle of the servants quarters and stared at the wall in front of her, eyes as blank as parchment._

 _Her fingers shake as curls her hands together, tears sliding down her cheeks even though she is perfectly still and silent. She doesn't move, only stares at the stone wall in front of her._

 _She feels nothing but the desperation that coils in her stomach and the fear that keeps her eyes fixed on the wall and her body still._

 _.Nothing._

 _Adriana tilted her head slowly and silently dared the chambermaid to take another step towards her._

 _Adriana's fury is cold, biting, and dangerous, even when she is human._

 _Dominico Salvatore gives her up to Elijah because he fears her fury. Nothing more, nothing less._

 _When one chapter ends, another begins._

 **...**

It is enough to have her daughter ripped from her the first time, Adriana wasn't sure is she could survive a second.

Shoving Marcel out of the way, Adriana crashed next to Davina, bloody hands stroking across her frozen face.

"Davina, little light?" Adriana voice is broken and barely above a whisper, tears beginning to spring up in her wide, horror filled, eyes. "Little light? Are you awake? Davina, darling, listen to Mama. Davina? No. No, no, _no_. Not again, please don't do this to me again." Adriana gently shook the still body, her hands trembling more violently as she became more desperate, the body remaining limp and unresponsive. "No, don't do this. Not like Tayte. Davina? Cienna? _Cienna, please!_ "

Adriana slowly broke down into loud sobs, cradling her daughters tragically beautiful face and gently resting her forehead on top of hers. Her eyes fluttering closed as she pressed a soft kiss on Davina's forehead.

"Who did this?" She eventually hissed out, her eyes turning deathly cold as she slowly sat up. "Kol, who murdered my daughter. Who murdered my light?"

"Adriana." Kol choked out through his tears. "Adriana, you need to understand-"

She went completely still, sharp eyes fully focusing on Kol.

Kol flinched away from her gaze, her eyes seemingly a blank expanse of brown, dead and empty.

"Kol, darling Kol." Adriana purred, though hatred painted her every word. "Darling, precious, _misunderstood_ Kol." Her lips pulled apart into a sneer as she continued to mock him. "Did you murder my daughter? Did you _rip into her throat_?"

"Adriana, please, the Ancestors-"

She lunged.

Adriana flew over Davina's body with a snarl, knocking Kol to the floor with a loud snarl. Straddling his waist and letting her hands twist into the fabric of his shirt.

"I trusted you." She growled, dragging Kol up by his neck only to shove him back to the floor, cracks forming in the floor where his head landed. "You promised me that she would be safe." She brought his head up, slamming it down again with a large crack. "You promised!" _Crack_! "But you just couldn't do it, could you?" _Crack!_ "Instead of protecting her, you slit her throat." _Crack!_ Blood was beginning to pool on the floor, Kol not fighting against Adriana's fury. "Like an animal!" _Crack! "_ I trusted you! I trusted you too keep her safe." _Crack! "_ Idiot." _Crack!_ "Idiot." _Crack!_ "Idiot!"

Breaking out of his stupor, Marcel dragged a furious Adriana off of Kol, the screaming woman kicking and screaming as he hauled her off of him.

"It's alright Adriana." Marcel desperately tried to placate her. "This is New Orleans, we can bring her back."

"It's too late." Adriana screamed, lunging at Kol once more before Marcel wrapped his hands around her tighter. "I'll never get to say goodbye…"

"Adriana, what are you talking about?" Marcel asked, his eyes narrowing as he say the black weeping wound in her neck. "Adri, what's that?"

"Death." Adriana spat, glaring at Kol from where she was trapped in Marcels arms. "Death and pain."

Adriana's laugh was one of bitterness and madness as she used the last of her strength to push Marcel into the wall, running a hand through her hair as she went, flinching slightly as pain twisted around her bones and the black veins twisting around her hand pulsed.

"Save my daughter Kol." Adriana hissed at the Original, snapping her fangs at Kol. "And tell her I'm sorry, but you, however, have fallen completely out of my favour. I'll see you in hell."

Turning around, Adriana cast another scolding look over her shoulder before leaving the darkened ward.

 **...**

 _Adriana Mafiay begs Elijah to kill her._

 _She never wanted to live forever, never wanted to shed blood to survive._

 _"Please," She whispered, laying in their bed as Elijah paced the room. "Elijah, I can't do this. Don't make me live forever, I have lost too much to survive that long."_

 _"You'll have me." Elijah snapped, turning to her with a deep frown. "You'll have this family, is that not enough?"_

 _Elijah has lost Adriana once, he won't lose her again, no matter how much she begs._

 _"I want my daughter back." Adriana stated through her tears her back facing Elijah as she cried into the bed. "That's all I ever wanted."_

 _For not ending her life, Adriana calls Mikael, hoping he would do it for her. In_ _return, Elijah takes a mistress and makes a witch enchant her bracelet so she is forever connected to him, making her unable to die without white oak._

 _And the cycle goes on._

 _One hundred years of being a vampire, Adriana tears apart a whole village in cold fury and falls to her knees in the middle of the carnage, her entire body covered in blood._

 _Elijah only gathers her in his arms and sits with her in the carnage, a silent yet comforting presence as she sobbed._

 _She drags him into her bed that night._

 _Elijah lips taste like blood, vengeance and chaos, and it was all Adriana ever wanted. He gives her the name Goddess of Red that same night, and Adriana had never felt so **alive**._

 _It is the beginning of the end._

 **...**

Adriana wandered through the streets of New Orleans, lights dancing across her pale face as memories flashed through her mind.

 **...**

 _By the time she is four hundred, her heart is almost completely cold and her eyes nearly empty._

 _"Three hundredth anniversary, how the time flies." Adriana hummed, her voice sickly sweet as the mistress fought against the rope tying her to the chair. "I got him the finest of silks," Adriana turned from her where she stood, the movement of her gown echoed get around the room as she advanced on the other woman, "and my husband got me you. He truly is kind, no?"_

 _"He told me he loved me." The mistress spat back, Adriana raising an eyebrow as she watched the woman, absentmindedly running her hands against her blood red dress. "You're nothing but bad news. Demons!"_

 _"Oh, my husband is bad news." Adriana hummed slowly, pushing her prey further into the chair. "But I assure you that I am no better. Now, shall we begin?"_

 **...**

She had loved them, in their own unique ways. She loved Davina and Ulrik for their bravery, for their fragile beauty that she held in her hand.

She loved Tayte for his humour, for the light and hope he shone into her life. She loved Tayte as much as she hated him.

But Adriana meant darkness, and darkness suffocated with light.

She loved Elijah for his flames, for his fury, for his wrongs and his flaws. She loved Elijah for his twisted version of love and how he let her feel alive and light despite her darkness.

Somewhere, hidden in the darkness and twisted forest of her own mind, a clock started ticking. Slowly bouncing off the caverns of her broken mind.

Tick.

 _(This is how it ends.)_

 **...**

 _Adriana watched the fire burn with blank eyes, her head tilting to the side as Elijah kissed down the expanse of her neck. Both of them watching the drained villagers burn with cold eyes, both of them covered almost completely with blood._

 _Once upon a time, she would have cried at their deaths, she would have sobbed her heart out over the blood she spilled. Now, she is a cold Goddess, Empress, Queen, and Lady. She is the predator and they are the prey._

 _In this world it is kill, or be killed, and Adriana had no interest in mercy._

 _They are gods of gold, silver, blood and wine, and only tragedy comes when gods fall in love._

 _It is not a death sentence, to be love a Mikaelson. It's only a death sentence when they love you back._

 **...**

Adriana walked through the deserted city with stumbling steps, watching as the clock that hung over the city slowly tick closer to midnight. Stopping in her tracks, Adriana stood in the shadows as the city that never sleeps unfolded before her eyes, music filled her ears, and lights illuminated the square in front of her.

Tick.

Closing her eyes, Adriana stepped away from the square with a melancholy smile on her face as she turned her back on the city, stepping through the pain that wrapped around her body with clenched teeth.

"Adriana?"

No. Not him. Not now.

"Gypsy, what are you doing out here? What's wrong?"

Not Elijah. No. Please, just give her this one last wish…

"Adriana, tell me it isn't true…" A hand grabbed onto her wrist as she tried to flee further, forcing her to spin around and face him. "Adriana…"

Tick.

Her head hung low, her eyes staring at the floor as he held onto her wrist. She felt her wrist slowly being turned over, a sharp intake of breath heard and a soft hand felt as it trailed along her darkened veins. A soft tug sent Adriana stumbling into Elijah, the Original wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her there.

"This is all my fault." Elijah whispered into her hair, his arms tightening around her. "This- this would never had happened if it weren't for me. None of this would ever have happened…"

"Maybe." Adriana whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck. "But it's a bit too late for that now."

Adriana squeezes her eyes shut and buries her nose into Elijahs neck.

It's all a bit bittersweet.

 **...**

 _Adriana arrived in New Orleans with her lips painted red and black stilettos in her feet, she is over nine hundred when she meets her daughter again._

 _She almost falls to her knees with the emotion that overwhelmes her._

 _Elijah is there to pick up the pieces and give her a shoulder to cry on as she mourns the woman she once was, the woman who didn't want to live forever._

 _The first Adriana lived for her village, with the eyes of a doe, the fangs of a snake and a husband that was terrified of her. Adriana Mafiay had tan skin and a joyous life despite her pain, she was a dove that soared through the cool night sky of her home. Adriana Mikaelson lives with cold eyes and a colder heart, and she can never be the woman she once was. She is a prestige cat that hisses at everything that mildly upsets her, and has a husband that nurtures her darkness rather than fear it._

 _Adriana Mikaelson is drunk on blood, silver, jewels and gold by the time she fully confronts her past, and you can never just let go of a life like that._

 **...**

Tick.

Tick.

 ** _Tick._**

Glancing over Elijah's shoulder, Adriana watched as the minute hand slowly moved closer to midnight.

Four minutes left.

 _Enough to make one last sandwich,_ Tayte's voice bounced around her head. His laughter echoing around the cavern of her mind.

She could almost see his smirking face in the distance.

"Tayte." She whispered into Elijah's shirt. "Tayte, I'm so sorry."

Inhaling deeply, Adriana stepped out of Elijah's grip. Holding onto his hands with trembling fingers.

"Hey, hey little warrior. Look at me." She smiled sadly, swallowing the blood that filled her mouth when she spoke. It tasted like copper. It tasted like the cold chill of the end as it brushed against her fingertips, as it wrapped around her wrist.

"No." Elijah denied, shaking his head and looking at her with tears in his eyes. His whole body was trembling, and his brown eyes held a damning mixture of terror, sadness, and fury. "Don't talk like that. Don't talk like you've given up. There's still time. We can fix this. We can make you come back!"

Come back… without her babies, without her love, without everything she had worked so hard to achieve?

No. No! She wouldn't allow it.

Besides, wasn't this all she had ever wanted?

Three minutes.

"No!" Adriana practically screamed, flinching back and shaking her head violently. "I don't want to come back! Elijah, grant me this one last thing… Don't make me come back. There is nothing left for me here! Nothing! My daughter is dead! I have been forced to give up my son! Tayte…" her voice broke apart, crystalline tears clouding her vision, "oh, gods Tayte. It's all my fault."

"Adriana!" Elijah practically begged, holding onto her shoulders. "No, Adriana don't talk like that! There's still time. We can fix this!"

"There isn't enough time." Adriana denied, tightening her hold on his hands. Her voice broke off into sobs, and her shaking palms lifted to Elijah's face as he turned away from her, staring at the cobblestone floor. "Hey. Look at me, look at me for one last time. Oh, dear Elijah. Don't worry. Don't cry. It's going to be fine." Slowly she stepped back, still holding onto Elijah's face with stretched arms. "You see, little warrior, once you die, it doesn't hurt anymore."

"Don't talk like that." Elijah said frantically, grabbing onto her wrists when she moved to let go of his face. "This isn't the end. You're Adriana Mafiay, the Mother of Nightmares, you can't just give up like this!"

Adriana only smiled sadly, turning her head to gaze up at the stars above them. Crystalline tears trailing down her face as she blinked.

Two minutes left.

"Hey Elijah." Adriana said softly, lifting her head to stare at his silently crying face, his eyes rimmed with red, blood beginning to leak out of her mouth. Trailing down her chin and splashing onto her torn shirt. "You're a right bastard, but I guess old habits die hard. You made some wrong decisions, scratch that you made a lot of bad decisions. But that doesn't make you a bad person, I can see that now, it just makes you human. Remember, your not a bad person."

"Adriana, please don't let it end like this…" Elijah choked out, his eyes wide and frantic. "Please…"

It's unfair; for such a small word to have such a powerful meaning…

Smiling softly, Adriana brought Elijahs face closer to hers, their noses touching, Elijah watched her carefully through the tears in his eyes slowly watching as the black spiderweb of veins slowly pulsed up her neck. Closing her eyes, Adriana pressed her lips against his one last time, Elijah slowly reciprocating the kiss, tears travelling down both of their faces as they kissed for one last time.

 _You may now kiss the bride_ , Adriana thought to herself dramatically.

 **...**

 _Adriana's wedding bouquet is filled with wild white lilies, the only flower she truly loves._

 _The organisers tried to tell her white roses would fit her flowing dress better, but Adriana would rather slit her own throat then carry roses up the aisle._

 _She meets Elijah at the alter with a smirk on her face, her husband throwing her his own smirk as she stops in front of him, her hand intertwining with his._

 _This is just a spectacle for the people of New Orleans, and they both know how to put on a show._

 **...**

"Beautiful Goddess of Red." Elijah mumbled into her bloodstained lips. "Please do not abandon me here."

One minute.

Adriana separated from the kiss, her hands absentmindedly stroking the hair out of Elijah's face, watching as he kept his eyes closed and his fists clenched.

He is angry, she can tell, but conceals it for her benefit.

Just like he always does.

This is how it ends. This is what her life had be leading up too; just to die on a street corner. She blamed the voices in her head (and whoever thought it would be a good idea to name her Adriana).

Tick.

Tick.

Tick. Tick. **_Tick._**

She stumbled away from Elijah, his grip slackening in shock as she laughed brokenly, blood staining her teeth as she grinned at him from where she stopped a few feet away. Her legs shook, and her hands rested on her knees, her laugh continuing to fill the empty street corner.

It wasn't one of joy, it was one of defeat and madness, and the ticking slowly grew louder in her head.

The ticking of seconds going by bounced off the caverns of her mind. Ringing in her ears while the sounds terrifyingly large hand wrapped around her throat and pushed more blood into her mouth. Black veins pulsed up her neck and started creeping up her face,

"Hey Adriana." Elijah's voice is nearly drowned out by the agonising tick-tick of the clock, and yet it shone amongst the darkness like a lighthouse on a stormy night. "Goodbye, my gypsy girl."

 _I love you_. The words don't leave his lips, but Adriana can see the statement in his eyes.

There never were creatures of love, only chaos.

Adriana glanced up at him with tears running down her face, her eyes slowly staining grey while black veins pulled around her eyelids and her skin grew rapidly paler. In that moment, she remembered she had loved, the one who offered her the world when she did not have a home, and all the gold she wanted when she was only a lonely servant girl. In that moment, Adriana offered Elijah a timid smile, and said the only words that could escape her bloodstained lips in that very moment.

"Goodbye, my little warrior."

 _(I love you too.)_

It had started with them, she supposed it was only fitting it ended with them too.

 **...**

 _"My name is Adriana." The woman with dark hair smiled brokenly, wiping away the tears in her eyes._

 _"Hello, Adriana." He smiled, kissing her hand and remembering just how beautiful she had been. "My name is Elijah."_

 _He would give her the world if she ever asked for it._

 **...**

Adriana remembers the feeling of her head hitting the cobblestone floor, she remembers Elijah's footsteps running towards her and his cries of agony as he reached for her body. She saw the long green fields of her long lost home, and could smell the wild lilies that came from the ground around her.

And then?

And then everything around her bursts into flames and she stands there with a smile on her face as she descended into darkness.

 **...**

They say there is a monster at the end of this book. They say that'll you see it as it seeps through the pages, and wraps it's writhing fingers around your hands as you turn the page.

The streets of New Orleans were painted red that night, and Elijah met his siblings with a suit stained and torn with a deep red.

No one disrespected his gypsy, not even in death.

This is how it ends. For this is a tragedy, a tale of how gods should never fall in love. At least, it's how it is supposed to end, but Adriana Mafiay was never called the wife of death for nothing.

This is how it ends, but it is also how it begins.

 **...**

Huffing slightly, and mumbling obscenities under his breath, the dusty blond male put the book back into place. Letting his hands trail along the thick spines of the law books, his brilliant blue eyes narrowed in contemplation.

"Of course, Sir." He mumbled darkly under his breath, reaching for another large book. "I'll find that really obscure book that only has a certain number of copies in the local public library. No problem at all." Scoffing, he folded his arms and glared at the shelf as if it was to blame. "What an idiot. The lengths I go to get good grades…"

"You looking for this." A deep voice spoke up, a heavily tattooed arm entering the blue eyed males vision. "You're quite lucky, someone just brought it back."

Sighing in relief, he accepted the book.

"Thanks." The dusty blond nodded, his sharp cheekbones clenching slightly as he stared at the heavily tattooed man. "Can I help you with something?"

The man only laughed, rolling his broad shoulders under his shirt.

"Not really, you just remind me of someone I knew a long time ago." He grinned, sticking out his hand, the other man shaking it with wary eyes. "My names Kouu."

Kouu is covered in tattoos, intricate designs and patterns trailing up his arms. His hair is pitch black and his eyes dark, and the blond is slightly convinced he's seen him somewhere before.

"Ulrik Mafiay." The blue eyed man nodded, shoving his hands into his jeans.

Ulrik is shorter than Kouu, with dirty blond hair and crystal blue eyes that sparkle with intelligence and something Kouu could only describe as the Mafiay glint.

That night, he finds an envelope resting on his plastic kitchen table, almost lost in between the numerous college assignments there as well. In the envelope, he finds a photograph.

It seems at least a decade old, but well looked after. It is of a man with dark hair and brown eyes, dressed in an expensive suit with a small smirk on his face. Next to him stood a short woman, despite the the large heels on her feet, dressed in a white blouse and a black pencil skirt, her lips painted an almost blood red. In the arms of the woman is a happily grinning child, with blond hair and the same blue eyes Ulrik sees everytime he looks in the mirror.

They have an aura of danger around them, but Ulrik only sees the kindness and love in their eyes.

Flipping over the photograph, Ulrik read the newly penned message on the back. Falling onto his dining room chair.

 ** _She would've wanted you to have this._**

Ulrik Mafiay is nineteen and has a good life; the soft voice with a slight accent that lurks in the darkest corners of his head hums and tells him not to question it.

So he doesn't.

 **...**

A girl with blood red talons for nails and a boy with ice picks for eyes pass each other on the street one cold winter evening. Her silver scarf is wrapped around her mouth and nose, and his black trench coat collar is pulled up to hide his neck from the biting air.

The sound of shoes on the cobblestone floor stop a few seconds after they pass each other, they are alone as everyone else has already hurried for shelter from the oncoming weather. The wind whipping around them with untold fury as snow danced along the cobblestone street.

 _I don't want the world, only happiness._

 _Then happiness I shall bring._

Staring ahead, the boys eyebrows furrowed, his shoulders tensing slightly as the foreign words rang through his head like an old memory that lay on the tip of his tongue. As if he had seen that exact face once before and yet he had no idea where from.

It was uniquely frustrating and astonishing.

"Hey!" The boy shouted over the biting wind as he turned around, ice eyes meeting her brown ones as she turned around to face him, confusion marking her own foreign features. "Hey, lady! Do I know you from somewhere?"

When Tayte made a promise, he intended to keep it, even if it did take him over a thousand years.

 **...**

One day, Davina Claire runs head first into a small woman while she's buying ingredients for her potions.

"I'm so sorry." She says automatically, not even glancing up at the woman as she picked up her bag.

Tan hands with red painted nails quickly join hers to pick up the herb jars.

"I'm the one that should apologise." An accented voice sighs, placing the herb jar in Davina's bag. "I'm the one that wasn't looking where I was going."

"I guess that makes two of us." Davina said, still not looking at the woman as she picked up her bags. " _Grazie_."

" _Prego_." The woman waves off naturally, standing to her feet and calmly walking away from Davina. " _Cìao-Cìao."_

It takes Davina several seconds to realise where she remembers that voice from.

Whirling around, with her bag clutched in her had and her eyes wide with hope, Davina scanned the crowd, her eyes landing on familiar short chocolate brown hair as it disappeared into the bustling crowd of people, the sharp click of heels echoing in her ears as the familiar stranger disappeared.

She let a small smile paint her face, her laughter bubbling in the air around her as she set off in the opposite direction.

Maybe the Mafiay could have a happy ending after all.

 **...**

This is how it truly ends.

One day, when the blood of its enemies is washed from the streets of New Orleans, Elijah Mikaelson buys a bouquet of wild white lilies and goes for a walk.

The sky above the city is nothing but a crisp blue sheet, the air was thick and cold, the leaves on the trees a beautiful gold and red, and the battle was finally over.

With a bouquet of wild lilies in hand, Elijah walked into the graveyard, wandering past several newly erected stones to a more secluded part of the cemetery. Where a single plaque sat upon the green earth, already marred with age and decay. A fresh bouquet of peonies sat by the plaque already, signifying Davina's presence at the gravesite probably only a few hours prior.

The girl had been distraught at the news of her mother's death, holing herself in her room and screaming at everyone she saw.

Davina had tried everything to bring her mother back, but it had been too late.

Adriana's soul had disappeared.

Elijah knelt down, brushing the orange leaves away from the grey plaque as he went, letting his hands trail along the words etched deeply into the stone.

 **Here lies Adriana Mafiay. May her soul find peace away from this world.**

His darling Adriana, he would've joined her if he was able too.

She had been the only thing he remembered clearly in his amnesiac state, the only thing that kept him grounded to reality.

"Hello Adriana, I'm sorry I haven't been able to visit lately." He said, setting down the bouquet of lilies next to the peonies. "Ulrik has grown remarkably, he's following your footsteps and becoming a magnificent lawyer. I'm sure you are as proud of him as I am. I do wish to speak to him, sometimes I see him walking passed me in the street and I wonder what would happen if I introduced myself. But you wouldn't want that, and I will abide by your wishes." Taking in a deep breath, he glanced down at his hands. "Davina tells me you and Tayte have completely disappeared, you're not on the other side, you're not among the ancestors, you're not anywhere. Where have you gone, gypsy girl? Are you and your knight together again?" Sighing deeply, Elijah brushed his finger against the plaque one last time, slowly standing upright. "Goodbye Adriana, I'll see you next week."

"A bit morbid, talking to the dead, don't you think?" A rich, slightly accented voice came from behind him. Elijah turning around to stare at the figure a few paces away.

The figure was a woman, that much was certain. A pure white blouse with long sleeves kept her warm in the cooling air as the leaves fell down from the trees. She wore black jeans and had tall stilettos on even in the uneven ground of the cemetery. A bunch of red roses in hand.

"You'd do well not to disrespect the dead." He told the woman, his eyes finally rested on her face. "You'd never know when one might take offence."

His whole world froze around him as the woman laughed brightly, the bouquet of red roses crinkling in her arms as she walked a few paces and set the flowers down onto a cold plaque near her.

He knew that stone, he walked by it almost every week.

 **Tayte Johaneson. Reunited with his loved ones.**

Her blood red lips pulled apart as she smiled, deep brown eyes staring back at him with a glint no one could hope to replicate.

"I don't believe in ghosts." She countered, calmly brushing her hands against her jeans before she gestured to the stone plaque at her feet. "The uncle of my best friend, also his namesake. I don't know, I was was walking by here and was compelled to pay my respects. Apparently they look incredibly alike."

Elijah had no doubt about that.

Elijah Mikaelson had loved Adriana Mafiay nine hundred years ago, and he still loved her to this day.

"My name is Elijah." He introduced himself, holding out his hand and smiling as she shook it. "What's yours?"

He already knew the answer, but it didn't hurt to ask.

Her fingernails were painted a deep red to match her lips, her skin was incredibly tan, and her accent told him that English wasn't her mother tongue. Her short hair brushed against her shoulders as she titled her head, sharp and fragile cheekbones making her look like something out of a fantasy book.

"Oh, my name is Adriana." The tiny brunette in tall heels grinned with the fangs of a snake, large brown eyes sparkling even in the low light of the evening. "Nice to meet you Elijah, even if it is in such a place."

He would give her the world if she ever asked for it.

This is how it really ends.

( _This is how it begins._ )

* * *

 **Finito.**


	51. A Note From Eva (A Short Chapter)

**A Note From Eva, this isn't a chapter, this is me being dramatic. If you're looking for a chapter, please scroll past the three dots to find one (my treat):**

* * *

A light flickered on, illuminating the chair and the person in it. Snapping the book closed with a sigh and resting it on the nearby table, the figure turned to the audience.

" **And so our story ends.** " They sighed once more, running a hand through their hair. " **I'll miss writing Adriana as much as you will probably miss reading about her. We can't be slaves to our sadness, can we? To your questions!** " With a large, if somewhat melancholy smile on their face the figure picked up a piece of paper, their eyes flickering down the page. **"Was Adriana reincarnated? Why, yes she was if that wasn't clear enough! Both Tayte and Adriana have been reincarnated. We see that Ulrik has been accepted into law school as well, what a smart boy, and runs into Kouu along the way. Those of you with good memories will remember Kouu as the first vampire Adriana created, and the same person who is leading the Oscurità. I agree with some that this ending appeared out of nowhere, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out how Adriana would survive and stick around of Kol killed Davina.** " The person in the chair frowned slightly. **"The ending is left a little open on purpose, you can decide if Adriana got back together with Tayte, finally had her dreamlife with Elijah, or maybe even struck out on her own. You decide!"** With a grin, they moved on to the next question. **"How was Adriana brought back? Well, this has something to do with our ever loyal Kouu, Hippolytus and Jack. After hearing of Adriana's death and not knowing her wish they would've scrambled to force her wayward soul into a babies body, and if Adriana's going anywhere then Tayte's coming too."** Laughing lightly, they tilted their head. **"Now, a question I have previously been asked; Why couldnt Elijah and Adriana just get along? Well, we see all the of Elijah from Adrianas perspective, how he had consistently cheated on her and their marriage was all out terrible. But we only see things once from Elijahs perspective, two sides of a coin and all that. It's established throughout both books that Adriana is not a good person. Adriana lives by the motto ' _bite before they bite you_ ' and so technically Adriana is the one that started her own downfall."**

Fidgeting in their seat, the person continued, the light flickering above them.

 **"The Assistant and Broken Strings are both cautionary tales _against_ abusive relationships, against the idea of a once lovely relationship can last forever. Some do, others don't, and I live by the belief that all forms of love deserve a story, if it is just a fanfic. Adriana has been abandoned and abused, but that doesn't instantly make her a good person. ****Adriana comes from a background of being abandoned and suffering from almost every type of abuse Physical from the slave traders, hints of sexual from Demetri, and emotional from Elijah so she lashes out in violent ways. She betrays people before they, in her mind can betray her. She also comes from a background of being ostracised by people around her. She's a woman, and no matter how stubborn and independent she may be she would remain the 'weaker sex' in the eyes of society. At her core, Adriana is _extremely_ bipolar and borders on the line of depression, so that's why she swings from one emotion to the next quickly. If you've been emotionally abused and manipulated through nearly a thousand years you wouldn't come out completely sane.** " The figure frowned sadly, their eyes growing dark. **"** **Adriana's one coping mechanism is her family, just like, in the show, Elijah show strong tendencies towards protecting his family. She allows people to get hurt if she thinks for one second it will benefit her dream of a picturesque, picket fence style family."** The figure sighed heavily, resting their chin in their hands. **"Unfortunately, that dream is what got her killed. I imagine, in the very end, Elijah and Adriana forgave each other for everything they had done."**

Leaning back in the seat, the figure smile, waving slightly and laughing. " **It's been a wild two years ladies and gents, thank you for sticking with me throughout. Thank you for every follow, favourite and comment, you have no idea how much it means to me."** With a large grin on their face, the figure mock saluted, smiling at the audience. **"Eva out!"**

And the light turned off.

 **...**

 **This mini chapter is set while Elijah is trapped behind his red door by the Hollow, and while Hayley is trying to save him. Enjoy!**

 **...**

" _Tu sei il mio soldatino_ …" A soft voice sang, hands brushing through Elijah's sweat dampened hair. "Rest now, little warrior, it's going to be okay, that woman can't get you here." Her soft humming continued, the smell of flowers and crisp summer air bombarding Elijah's senses. "Nasty piece of work that witch is, if you ask me her mother should've taught her better manners. Absolute power absolutely corrupts and all that…"

Shooting up out of the woman's soft grip, Elijah turned around his brown eyes meeting the sharp edges of hers.

Dressed in a medieval red dress, the soft material pooling around her as she looked up at him from where she knelt at the floor. Her long hair fell down her back, lips bare and a soft petal pink opposed to the red she wore during the time she had died. The flush in her cheeks and the smile on her hair signified her humanity, wild white lilies down into her hair.

"You're not real." Elijah hissed, stepping away from hair. "This is low Hollow, even for you. How dare you wear the face of Adriana, how dare you mock her in death."

He had sacrificed hundred of pathetic humans to his goddess of red after her death. He had torn apart so many people in his grief, had drank and bathed in their blood, in the beautiful colour that reminded him so much of his gypsy.

"Are we seriously going to go over this again?" The brown haired woman sighed, soothing over her dress. "Honestly Elijah, we've gone through this whole 'you aren't my Adriana' thing once before. Are you honestly going to do this again?" Sighing, the woman ran a hand through her long, wavy brown hair. "Here I am, out of the goodness of my own heart, in a form you enjoy no less and, what do I get? Accusations!"

With a light huff, the woman snapped her fingers. The garden of wild lilies immediately vanished, being replaced by an office with dark red painted walls and a rich oak desk, a large window looking over the city of New Orleans.

"Ungrateful." The woman muttered, though now she was dressed in a silk blouse and black pencil skirt, her stilettos as she walked across the room, her brown hair framing her face in a simple bob cut as she rearranged the wild lilies in the vase on the desk. "Absolutely ungrateful. See Elijah, this is why we never had a successful marriage. You keep accusing me of things I haven't done!"

Slowly, realisation ion danced on Elijah, watching the woman with soft eyes.

"Hello, Adriana, you're supposed to be dead."

"You don't even visit my grave." Adriana pouted, crossing her arms and glaring at him. "After that emotional goodbye, you don't even visit my grave!"

"I've been a bit busy, Adriana." Elijah growled back, though a smirk of humour painted across his face.

"You've been a bit _rude_." Adriana scoffed, glaring at him. "Are you _laughing_ at me?"

"Of course not Adriana." Elijah said, clearing his throat to hide the laughter in his voice. "Why are you here anyway? Have you come to laugh at me in the end?"

"Technically, I'm not here." Adriana explained, sitting behind the desk and thrumming her red painted nails on the dark wood. "I'm just a figment of your imagination, your brain needed a coping mechanism and here I am."

"You're my coping mechanism?" Elijah asked, his eyebrows raised in disbelief.

"Trust me, I'm as surprised as you are." She stated, leaning back in her seat. "Though, I can't keep you for much longer, that weird smelling werewolf mother is prowling around trying to find you, the one you slept with. What is her name…"

She muttered the last part to herself, her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion, staring at the floor in thought.

"Hayley." Elijah sighed, sitting in the chair opposite Adriana.

"I don't make it a point to remember the names of your mistresses." She waved off flippantly, her brown eyes turning to Elijah. "Though, now I know her name…" She hummed to herself in thought, tapping her nails against the expensive wooden desk before she turned to face Elijah fully. "Stay here, and, for the sake of the Gods, don't touch anything while I'm gone."

With that, she disappeared, leaving Elijah to set in the blood red painted room, a small smirk on his face.

He had missed her.

Appearing in the white corridor, a spot of red among the pristine whiteness of the walls and doors, Adriana cleared her throat from where she stood behind Hayley.

"Excuse me," she said, her voice almost bored as Hayley whirled around to face her. "You're going the wrong way."

"Adriana." Hayley whispered, her eyes widening as she straightened. "You're meant to be dead."

"Technically, I am dead." Adriana explained calmly, tilting her head as she watched Hayley's suspicious expression. "I'm a figment of Elijah's imagination, a coping mechanism almost. Think of me as the receptionist for this place." She gestured around her at the pristinely lit white corridor. "Lovely as it is catching up with you Hayley, if you'll follow me please."

Turning on the tip of her stilettto, Adriana walked down the corridor, focusing on the click of Hayley's low heeled shoes as she walked. Taking a left down a corridor Hayley hadn't noticed before, Adriana stepped in front of a red oak door. Turning to make sure Hayley was next to her, Adriana silently opened the red door entering the room with a flourish.

"Didn't I tell you not to touch anything." Adriana tutted, her eyes narrowing as Elijah quicly closed one of the oak drawers in the desk. "Honestly, is a simple instruction really that hard for you to understand?"

"Hayley." Elijah greeted with a nod, smiling at Adriana as she rolled her eyes. "Adriana said you were around here somewhere."

"Yeah." Hayley muttered awkwardly, glancing nervously as Adriana sat behind her desk, ruffling through some papers and picking up a pen. "Shall we get going then?"

"Of course." Elijah grinned, turning to the woman behind the desk. "Come on Adriana."

Both Adriana and Hayley froze.

"Elijah," Hayley started nervously, tapping her fingers against her thighs. "Adriana can't come with us."

"Of course she can." Elijah denied, holding out his hand to Adriana. "Come _on_ gypsy girl, you have to meet Hope. She'll love you, I promise."

"I was worried this would happen." Adriana muttered, slowly setting down her pen.

"Elijah, Adriana is dead, remember-" Hayley was cut off when Elijah's look instantly turned murderous, his dark eyes turning to her with a low growl.

"Don't speak to Adriana like that." Elijah snapped, behind him, by Elijah's own will, Adriana's form flickered to reveal a woman with dark veins pulsing around her eyes and a blood red dress that complimented her figure, before she flickered back to the Adriana Hayley was familiar with. "No one is allowed to speak at her like that."

 _The Goddess of Red_ , Hayley realised, her eyes flickering to Elijah. _He's thinking about the Goddess of Red._

 _"_ Elijah." Adriana said softly, stepping in between Elijah and Hayley when the Original looked ready to tear out her throat. "Little warrior, Hayley is right. I can't come back."

"What do you mean you can't come back?" Elijah asked, worry taking over his features as he focused on Adriana. "You're right here… Is something stopping you gypsy girl? I swear to you, I'll tear out their throats-"

"Elijah." Adriana said softly once more, her hands resting on either side of Elijah's face. "You've only been here a short while and you've already forgotten, you've forgotten because you don't want to remember now I'm back. Come on Elijah, look at me, you know deep down inside why I can't come back."

 _"Look at me for one last time._ " The words rang in his head, though Adriana's mouth didn't move and tears began to spring in his eyes. _"Oh, Elijah. Don't worry. Don't cry. It's going to be fine. You see, little warrior, once you die, it doesn't hurt anymore."_

"Because you're dead." Elijah whispered, resting his forehead against hers. Hayley watching them with sad eyes. "Because you don't want to come back."

He had loved her so much, that he begged to join her even though he had his siblings, he had begged to join his Adriana.

His beautiful Goddess of Red.

"You see little warrior," Adriana smiled, though tears had begun to prick in the corners of her eyes as she tapped Elijah's forehead. "It's all in your head. Me, Tatia, the red door, _everything_. It's all just in your head."

"Please don't leave me again." Elijah begged, staring down at her with wide eyes. "Not again."

"Goodbye little warrior." Adriana smiled, turning away from Elijah and regaining her composure to stare at Hayley, gently holding the other woman by her shoulders, though desperation creeped into her voice. "Promise me you'll look after him. Whatever happens, you have to promise me you'll look after him."

Glancing at a distraught Elijah, Hayley nodded.

"I promise." Hayley stated, nodding her head. "Goodbye Adriana."

Smiling softly, Adriana sat back down behind her desk, picking up her pen once more.

"Goodbye Hayley." She nodded, turning to Elijah one last time as he was led out of the door. "Goodbye Elijah."

"Goodbye Adriana." Elijah stared, his brown eyes fixed on hers as he shut the red door.

Smiling to herself, Adriana disappeared from the room the second Elijah closed the door.


End file.
